


Don’t Weep for the Wicked  (Book 1)

by AroundSomewhere



Series: Don't Weep for the Wicked [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Age Difference, Agent 47 References, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Assassin Nines, Bottom Connor, Bottom Gavin Reed, Cat and Mouse, College age Gavin, Dark Comedy, Depressed Gavin Reed, Dominant Nines, Dry Humor, Duality, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, Good versus Evil, Heavy Rain References, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mentions of Norman Jayden, Mercenary Nines, Mild BDSM, Mildly Dubious Consent, Nines is confused, Not you Nines, Oral Sex, Perversion, Possessive Nines, Protective Lover, Psychological Games, References to Hitman, Sexual Tension, Someone save Gavin Reed, Spanking, Stockholm Syndrome, Top Hank Anderson, Top Upgraded Connor | RK900, Two part book, Violent Nines, innocent gavin, reed900, split personality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-05-14 10:22:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 113,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19271299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AroundSomewhere/pseuds/AroundSomewhere
Summary: Agent Nines is a hitman for hire, taking utmost pleasure in his victim count. When the assignment of a lifetime comes knocking, he loses himself and gives in to his lust for power to his full extent. However, when a college student accidentally witnesses Nines in the midst of his work, the murderous android has no choice but to abduct him. But why can’t he kill the boy?





	1. At Death's Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hitman AU bitches. It had to happen at one point or another, come on. Was gonna originally do a 'Leon The Professional' AU, but I prefer 'Hitman' because hahaha, and Agent Nines is definitely a lot more sadistic/evil, but....he'll eventually be 'tamed' by Gavin.  
> Aiming to keep this brief!  
> Enjoy!

 

**Don’t Weep for the Wicked**

Through heavy clouds of smoke and ash, he glared down at the photograph that had been slid over to rest at the tips of his fingers on the small table. The smoke still rose, the air was stale with the promise of death, and a certain gleam bounced off the sunglasses on the face that stared coldly at him.

He kept an equally blank face as he looked down at the image of the middle-aged male with dirty dark brown hair and a matching black beard. He was a heavier man, though he seemed to give off an aura that he could handle himself in certain ‘situations’. Well, he loved a challenge, and he looked up once coolly at the figure seated across from him.

“I want Zlatko Andronikov dead within one week.”

He could understand why. Zlatko had been kidnapping plenty of runaway androids in order to build an underground prostitution and trafficking ring. Sadly, the police wouldn’t do anything about it, considering how Zlatko was clever and not only left no trace of his crimes behind, but he also took away those androids who weren’t very ‘well known’ for that matter. The Eden Club had been closed, but that didn’t seem to stop the perverted man from taking whatever he wanted, and it seemed that he’d built quite the lucrative business for himself for some time now.

He folded his gloved hands in his lap, smiling as he stared one more time at the photograph of the man he was now destined to kill. “I want five million.”

“Done.”

He wasn’t as convinced, and he leaned forward as he stared at those dark sunglasses. He could barely make out an eye behind the darkness of the shades, but that never stopped him from smiling widely as he held steady eye contact with the figure sitting between clouds and puffs of heavy, grey smoke. “But I like to know beforehand for any assignment why my client requires my services.”

The figure took a long drag from their cigar, and then blew the smoke out just to the left of his face. Very rude…very bold…

Clearing their throat, the shadowy figure leaned further back against the cushions and seat of the purple booth they were sitting in. “Let’s just say that someone I care about-an android-was attacked and assaulted by this pig. Since then, he’s never been the same. I was lucky to find him when I did, but I don’t want this happening to anyone ever again.”

Apparently, he’d been silent for too long, and it bothered his client. They flicked the ashes of the cigar over the grey ashtray before they tapped their fingers along the table, trying to catch his attention. “So,” the figure hissed like a snake, “I agree to your conditions, and you’ll get the full payment once the job is complete.”

He nodded, and then shoved the photograph across the table. “Get rid of that; don’t contact me anymore, and you’ll know when the mission is complete.”

“Fine.”

There was one more preliminary warning he always gave his clients, and he often took great pleasure in this part. He leaned forward, eyes turning dark with the promise of pain and torment as he sneered. “If you don’t pay me what I am owed when the mission is complete, or if you try to involve law enforcement, I’ll reward you with the most horrifying death you can imagine.”

The air had grown cold, but it had nothing to do with the temperature at all. The figure merely stared on at him, and they gave one slow, curt nod, just to let him know they’d heard him and were paying attention enough to heed the warning.

He smiled as the figure finally grunted as they stuck out a large hand for him to take. “Pleasure meeting you, Agent Nines.”

Reluctantly, he took their hand and shook it, albeit slowly. A cold, menacing grin was on his face the entire time, and the image of death warmed his nonexistent heart.

“Believe me,” he chuckled, “the pleasure’s all mine.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Zlatko Andronikov knew how to play a dirty game. He was definitely prepared for a fight, and Nines knew the man was aware he was being followed and watched. For almost a week, Nines had tried keeping an eye on Zlatko in order to track his movements and create a schedule of his daily activities, but by Wednesday, the man had switched everything around.

He stopped going out for coffee and lattes, and instead, he would walk aimlessly around a park right next to a middle school. His apartment was always lingering between these hot spots, and Nines knew Zlatko was inviting him for a fight…oh, he loved how his prey would sometimes taunt him. He would surely deliver the battle of a lifetime, and he had to admire how confident Zlatko was growing. If he thought he held all the aces, Nines was fine with playing that game, because he knew who had the higher, larger stack.

He loved the thrill of the chase, and he relished and delighted in the fact that Zlatko knew he was being watched. The man would often read the daily news on a park bench, but Nines knew he was surveying the areas around himself just to keep an eye out for any ‘new strangers’ lingering about. Zlatko had a memory as good as Nines himself did, and for the time being, he had to wait in the shadows as he stalked the man. Zlatko did his best to throw Nines off, but it never worked; the mercenary was always a few steps ahead of him.

Nines already knew the city like the back of his hand, which was why when Zlatko chose to wait for a few hours in a bookstore, Nines was ready for him when he ducked out through the back after knocking the customer care agent senseless and making a clean break for it. Clever, bold move, but Nines was already watching Zlatko from the wet rooftops. The bird’s eye view provided good advantage, and Nines stayed low as he jumped gracefully from building to building, just watching the rat that would soon be trapped in his maze.

Zlatko was armed, of course. He must’ve known this day would come, and Nines felt joy seeping through him as he finally leapt down from the tallest building right between the end of the alley, and the abandoned, adjacent building next to where Zlatko was trying to weasel his way in through a nailed-shut back door.

Foolish man.

They’d wandered deep into the city, and while Nines knew this particular area really well, Zlatko himself didn’t. The rain and clouds had made it difficult for any human to see, and Nines certainly didn’t expect someone knocking on death’s door to be that clever. If Zlatko had been a wiser man, he would’ve definitely noticed that the window closer to the front of the abandoned building he was currently trying to escape through was broken.

What a fool, indeed.

Nines didn’t pity him, however. If anything, ending the painful and wasteful life of some creature this stupid would be a blessing.

Unsheathing his Katana blade, Nines smiled coldly when Zlatko’s hand shook. He held up a hand, no doubt ready to beg for his life. Already planning his next movements, Nines knew he was going to use his free hand to sneak out his gun and fire away.

“Please wait!” Zlatko begged, a few beads of sweat clinging to the tip of his nose as he sucked his gut in and out while breathing raggedly.

Nines waited; he loved playing with his victims. It was very intriguing how dramatically people changed when they were begging for their lives and trying to fight back. Zlatko’s face went through at least ten different changes as various facial expressions presented themselves before Nines’ eyes. With each passing one, his hunger for blood and death swelled, and he practically began salivating when Zlatko took a step back.

He was definitely going for his gun, now…

“Don’t hurt me!” he pleaded, eyes wide with fear that didn’t move Nines at all, “whatever th-they’re paying you, I promise I’ll double it! Fuck! I’ll triple it!!”

Nines didn’t say a word as he held up his Katana. He didn’t usually speak with his prey, but for some reason-be it the cool evening breeze, or the fear that was raw and unmistakable in Zlatko’s eyes-he licked his lips with the tip of his long tongue.

“Zlatko Andronikov,” he hissed softly, “be happy in the knowledge that I shall weep over your dead body...”

The man began trembling, and he wiped his brow with the hand he’d held out for a split second. Nines saw his fingers twitching, and he knew it’d be any second now before he grabbed the gun. Wanting to make it seem as though he hadn’t caught onto that, Nines tilted his head at Zlatko, and he sneered when the man fumbled for his concealed weapon.

Three…

Two…

“Please…”

One…

The sky was perfect; the moon was radiant, and the sweet smell of salty sweat was billowing forth. Nines was as black as the dark sky above and surrounding them; he always wore black when out on a job, save for the white tie that hung loosely from his black dress shirt neck collar. His black leather gloves were the perfect grip for the handle of his Katana, and he tightened his hold on it as Zlatko’s heart started beating faster and faster…

Time slowed down.

Zlatko blinked, which was a sign that his fingers had caught the weapon behind his pants.

Nines swung the Katana upwards, and as Zlatko fired off two shots, Nines deflected each of them swiftly. Before the bullets even grazed over the sharpest part of his Katana, Nines sliced away at them in perfectly timed intervals. They bounced away and fell somewhere to the wet, puddle-covered grounds, and Zlatko shrieked in fear.

With his inhuman reflexes, Nines dashed forward, and he gripped Zlatko by the throat and hoisted him high up into the air. Rearing back, Nines thrust the blade forward, and the tip of it cut away through the first layer of Zlatko’s clothing. His coat and shirt were ripped open, and as he tried crying out, Nines tightened his fingers along the man’s thick neck. His back slammed against the brick wall of the alleyway, and Nines felt the lust of pain overwhelming him at that moment. Nothing tasted better than death, and his Katana was happy to deliver that.

Making sure to bend Zlatko’s wrist back enough to break the bone, the gun fell to the ground, and Nines sighed in joy and triumph as Zlatko squirmed. His eyes bugged out as he gasped and fought for air, and Nines released his neck for a moment. In a split second, he thrust forward again with the Katana, and it pierced sweetly through the man’s meat, fat, and skin. The blade practically ate away at his skin and essence, and as Nines hooked his fingers into the beefy man’s shoulders, he nearly cried out in joy when his eyes feasted upon the sight of pure, unadulterated fear evident in Zlatko’s face.

It was so beautiful, and Nines had been the only one to see it. He basked in it and felt the warm blood soaking his suit, but he didn’t mind; it was well worth it whenever he broke someone down in this way. There was no going back, now, and he’d been the one who’d delivered such an asinine man to this state of being.

“Shh,” Nines hissed, holding Zlatko close as he shoved the sharp blade tip right past his rib cage. He was aiming for the man’s heart, now, and a strained cry escaped Zlatko’s lips as all the color began draining from his face by the second.

Nines cooed against him as he wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. “You’re going to feel weak, but it is a sign that you’re crossing the threshold between this world and the next…” he then chuckled with pure malice, “…at least, you can convince yourself of that, as it doesn’t exist…”

Zlatko’s eyes rolled back into his head, and Nines tilted his head back as he loomed powerfully over him. “You’re going to lose more blood, now, and I’m aiming for your heart.” As though to prove his point, he jabbed the Katana upwards, and he felt it pierce through tough flesh. Something burst within Zlatko, and he began spitting and coughing blood as his knees caved in.

Now was the time for Nines’ signature move; the ‘embrace of death’. Letting the deadly weapon rest inside his victim’s body for a moment, he drew his hand back, and he shoved it forward against the wound while using his free hand to now cup Zlatko’s chin. Nines cupped his hand beneath the wound, and he felt the blood gathering and pooling there so sweetly. He could smell it, and it made him dizzy. He was so happy to be holding onto Zlatko as he watched the last signs that the man had once been alive leave his body.

When Nines stared into his eyes, they were suddenly lifeless, but he could still see himself in the center of those glassy, lifeless, soulless eyes. He never got over how beautiful and handsome he looked before his victims.

“I’m the last thing you see…” the whispers died down on Zlatko’s ears, and he fell limply against Nines. Still embracing the other man, Nines held him tightly to his chest, and then he pushed him back to rest against the wall. Propping Zlatko up so his back was resting against the cold bricks, Nines pushed his eyelids closed, and he then gently pet his head.

It was time to bid the scene and night farewell.

Pulling his Katana out of the corpse, Nines wiped it down with a clean cloth he kept in his suit pocket. There was a strange urge within himself to lick the blood clean, but he didn’t want the blood of a pig on his tongue. This would all soon happen again, and only then would he perhaps get to taste death for himself.

He’d barely tucked away his deadly weapon when he looked behind himself down along the wet, shiny stones of the ground, and he saw two grey sneakers just ahead a few feet. They lingered right in the middle of the alleyway, and as Nines stared upwards, he saw legs, a body attached to those legs, and a grey hoodie and raincoat.

Beneath the hoodie was the face of a young man-no doubt in his early twenties. He had a scar right along the bridge of his nose that gave him a unique appearance, and his grey-blue eyes and eyelashes were blown wide open. His mouth was dropped open in an ‘o’ shape, and his breath literally had been caught in his throat.

Nines stared at the young man, and in the blink of an eye, the adolescent ran backwards. He knocked himself against his bicycle, and as he tried righting it up so he could climb on it, Nines chucked the Katana at him. There was no time; he hadn’t unsheathed it. The blunt end smashed against the back of the youth’s skull, and he fell off his bike before his fingers even gripped the handlebars.

Falling down heavily, the bike crashed next to him, effectively trapping and holding his legs down. As he tried crying out for help and due to being in pain, Nines slammed a hand over his mouth.

Pressing his index finger against his lips, he smiled down with murder written in his eyes as he grinned at the youth. “Shhh,” Nines whispered, and he watched as the young man’s eyes turned pink with tears.

There was no mercy.

Nines bashed him over the head once more with his fist, and then he decked him roughly in the jaw. The adolescent had been knocked out, and he fell against the wet ground as his eyes shut tightly. He was still breathing, however, and as Nines stared down at him, he saw that he had dark brown hair.

“You are an unusual boy,” Nines mused to himself as he pushed back the young man’s hoodie, and he stared at his messy, dark brown mop of hair. It was beyond soaked, of course, but where had this boy come from? Why hadn’t he heard him?

The more Nines thought about it, the angrier he became with himself. He was usually an apex predator in the night, and yet this young thing had not only witnessed what he’d done, but he’d managed to accomplish this without even alerting Nines to his presence.

No, this wouldn’t do; he had to get rid of this young man right away.

First, the bicycle had to go.

Standing up quickly, Nines hoisted the bike high above in his hands, and he located a dumpster just across the alley. Throwing the lid open, he threw the bike inside, and then was back before the unconscious youth.

In his haste, Nines had failed to see that the young man had a school bag with him as well. It’d been hidden behind his body as he lay there unconsciously, and Nines sighed to himself as he picked it up and brushed it off. It was wet all over the bottom, but whatever was contained inside it hadn’t been damaged. He scanned the bag as he turned it around in his hands, and there was a wallet in the front pocket.

Unzipping it slowly, Nines took a peek inside the smallest pocket, and sure enough, he found the wallet. Fishing it out carefully, Nines opened it up after eyeing the studded exterior and skull with orange-red flames serving as the design and decoration on the front and back. When he’d opened the wallet, Nines rifled through the important bits of identification the young man carried with him.

The youth had been carrying a library card, a driver’s license, a few credit cards, a social insurance number card, a mashed-up cigarette, and a small handwritten note. The note read:

**_Gavin honey, just letting you know that you left your economics textbook in our home last time you came over for a visit!! Hope you won’t forget it this time!! You’re lucky your dad has made it a habit to go through your room often!_ **

**_Don’t forget it again, silly!!!_ **

**_Let us know how your exams go, and when you think you can come back before your summer term begins!_ **

**_Love,_ **

**_Mom_ **

Sneering at the pathetic display of feelings and emotions in the note, Nines crumpled it up, and he stuffed it into his own pocket, making a note to burn it later. When he went back to studying the driver’s license and library card of the young man, he found that the name of the unconscious young adult was indeed Gavin, and his last name was Reed.

Gavin Reed?

Well, it mattered not; Nines had to get rid of this eyewitness. Gavin Reed or not; this was a mistake.

Stuffing the cards back into the wallet, Nines searched through the young man’s pockets, and he felt another folded and tucked-in piece of paper in the right-hand raincoat pocket. When he pulled out the piece of paper, Nines unfolded it, and his eyes quickly read over it.

**_Congratulations, Gavin Reed!_ **

**_The University of Detroit Mercy is pleased to welcome you into the Honors program for the School of Business and Economics! As you already know, students enrolled into the program are expected to keep up a Grade Point Average of 78% (cumulative) in order to proceed on with the program and receive high-standing status in the School of Business and Economics._ **

**_Please be advised that the Chair of Undergraduate Studies is available all week for the first semester of the program should you wish to make an appointment to obtain further information and details._ **

**_The University also has on-campus study sessions, tutors, as well as counsellors to help you reach your goals for success!_ **

**_Sincerely,_ **

**_The Chair and Dean of the School of Business and Economics_ **

Once again, this was useless information for him.

Gavin Reed was a college student, and Nines felt frustrated that a simple college kid had nearly ruined and taken the pleasure away from his killing. He wanted nothing more than to bury his blade into the boy’s stomach, now, but all he did was remain calm, and he crumpled the note up and shoved it into his pocket with the first one.

It didn’t matter what Gavin Reed had been planning on doing with his future, and it didn’t matter that he had supportive, seemingly loving parents, either. He had to be destroyed.

Nines bent down, and taking his Katana, he hid it away behind his back as he looped it around his belt, and he then took Gavin into his arms along with his school bag, which he hung around a strong shoulder. He carried the boy over to where he’d parked his car, and as he carried the youth in his arms, he peered down once at him when they were perfectly beneath the bright light of the large moon.

The boy was indeed not bad to look at, and certainly not hard on the eyes.

Such a shame, such a waste.

It had to be done.

Death came to all, and sometimes it came unjustly. But Nines was one of Death’s most beloved Knights. He held no forms of bias and nepotism; he only decided the time and place of death for a certain few people every now and then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Gavin! Wrong place, wrong time, and all he wanted to do was start a good life!  
> Hopefully Nines will be merciful! :(


	2. Ultimatums and Tantrums

Handcuffs weren’t readily available, so rope would have to do. Nines worked well with the rope, and he tied the young Gavin Reed as tightly as he could to an old vent built in the middle of the wall of the tiny, dimly lit room he’d carried the young man into. His place of choice was an old, abandoned hospital and psychiatric facility that had closed down in the early 90s. No one came by here; not even explorers. It was rumored that the hospital was haunted by the lost, tortured souls of many patients and nurses who’d once worked at the facility, but Nines wasn’t one for superstition.

He set Gavin down on the rotten floors, making sure the wood was at least partially dry and that the boy wasn’t directly beneath a leak that had been steadily pouring down cold rain water from a rusted, burst water pipe that was hanging from a hole in the ceiling. There were plenty of bloody and muddied handprints over the walls, paint was chipped everywhere, the stench of wildlife, greenery, herbs, exotic plants, fruits, decay, death, and dust was all around the place. A few abandoned bed sheets, mattresses, books, magazines, papers, filing cabinets, chairs, desks, and bits of crockery had been cast around in piles by the hallways and in other rooms. Majority of the cells had been broken into, the doors and protective grates bust open as more junk, dirty clothing, bedding, rotten food, and strange items had been strewn about.

If anything, Nines thought the ‘haunting’ images certainly came from how filthy the place was. He didn’t believe in much else, and he simply stood leaning against a desk that was somehow still partly clean…well, in comparison to the rest of the abandoned hospital. As long as he didn’t dirty his suit, he was happy. He clasped his hands before his front as he stared down intently at the young Gavin. When would he wake up?

Nines was a patient android, but he felt a little irritated when it was nearly four in the morning, and Gavin still hadn’t moved an inch.

Very well. It was time to stand guard and watch the youth until the first morning light, then…

He didn’t require sleep, so Nines patiently waited and watched until the skylights had turned a light orange-yellow hue. It was morning, and he internally rejoiced when he saw those light brown eyelashes fluttering, and then the youth turned and groaned as his body more than likely alerted him to some pain, given how he’d been on the cold floor for hours.

Humans were so weak…how could he forget?

Feeling troubled already, Nines waited as he intently observed the young Gavin trying to sit up, but then when he was slammed back down due to the short length of the rope, his eyes opened wider. It seemed as if everything about the reality of the situation slowly was easing into him by the second, and he gasped in fright as he tried yanking his hands out of the rope.

Nines smirked as he watched the adolescent struggling. It appeared as though Gavin had even forgot about Nines being in the same room, even, and he kept yanking and twisting and turning his wrists in the bind. The idiot boy didn’t seem to want to stop struggling, and while it entertained Nines a great deal, the skin of the young man was also growing bright pink, and soon, light red.

Frowning, Nines pointed at the bindings. “You idiot boy, you’ll cut off all circulation this way.”

Gavin screamed when he looked over to identify who it was who had spoken. Nines relished in hearing those screams, as they were slightly high-pitched, for some reason. As Gavin screamed on and struggled, Nines crossed his arms over his chest, eyes glinting with the promise of death and danger the more Gavin fought against his bindings.

Knowing it was only going to be a matter of time before Gavin’s throat burned and turned dry, Nines waited it all out, even if his audio receptors were buzzing and aching a little. He wondered how much pain Gavin was willing to bear, however…

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

As it turned out, Gavin wasn’t that much of a screamer. Even if he had been, however, Nines wasn’t worried at all. They were too far away from the town, and nowhere near a place many dared to venture. It was the ideal spot for such a crime to take place.

But what crime was taking place, exactly?

Nines had to truly wonder.

Of course, he’d abducted the youth, but he hadn’t really done anything beyond that. Holding someone against their will wasn’t something he normally did; he was always the type to sneak in, kill, and then leave like a shadow. Why had he chosen to allow this young man to even hear his voice, see his face for far too long? What had been his purpose this time?

Perhaps he needed a new assignment…

Yes, he convinced himself of that, and suddenly, Gavin Reed had become more interesting to him. Nines feasted his eyes on the youth as he hung his head down to his chest while sobbing softly. He trembled, and once or twice, he even made a last minute attempt at weaseling his hands out of his bindings, but it was all no use.

Smiling warmly, Nines stared down at his bent head. “The knot is extra tight and secure; I made sure of it before I even selected this room to be your resting place.”

The words ‘resting place’ had turned Gavin’s head back up. From one look at the young man, Nines could tell the wheels in Gavin’s head were turning, and his thoughts were akin to mush, now. He could hardly blame the young man; he’d in a sense threatened his life. Whether or not Nines himself had been bluffing, even he had no clue, but he enjoyed toying with the levels of fear swimming around within the young man before him.

Wanting to draw out that look once more, Nines cleared his throat, and Gavin looked up at him.

Perfect.

Feeling more confident now that he had the cards in his hands, Nines gently rubbed his gloved hands together. He saw Gavin’s eyes falling upon them in fear, and he swallowed nervously as heat pooled in his cheeks.

“Are you g-going to k-kill me?”

That was a question Nines absolutely adored hearing from anyone. It was one that made his thirium boil with ardent passion, and it was a question he wished his victims would repeat over and over until it was the only sentence they knew how to speak. More importantly, it was lovely to hear on the deep-yet youthful-vocal chords of the creature on the floor.

Eyeing Gavin with some mirth in his eyes, Nines stroked his smooth, hairless chin, and then cheeks. He watched as Gavin’s patience fell, and it was an unmistakable look. Majority of those whose lives he’d snatched often gave the same look whenever he fed them with a tiny fraction of hope that they perhaps would live. Their eyes would often gleam brightly, and their lips would twitch a little in the corners before tears welled up in their eyes…hopeful tears. Their breathing would then quicken, and they would sweat profusely, just sitting, waiting, appealing to his good nature…and then, suddenly, he would make a change. It would be dropped upon their heads like an explosive, and they would once again turn into a sobbing, sweaty heap of emotions as they pleaded many times, cursed him, vowed to kill him themselves, and then broke down entirely.

That was the defining moment of every kill; that was what he looked forward to each and every time.

But it wasn’t there within Gavin, right now. No, he would have to make an effort and work this young man into that frenzy, and Nines wanted to enjoy that slow ride. He really wanted to play with his ‘prey’, for once, and he was surprised he’d never thought about attempting it before.

Perhaps Gavin brought it out in him…

Gavin seemed to despise that Nines had been silent, and he fidgeted a little while Nines stared down at him. Something troublesome and dark passed in the young man’s eyes, and whatever it was, Nines felt it was the birth of a threat. It loomed there brightly for a split second in Gavin’s eyes, and then, like a light switch, it turned off, and it was gone.

Interesting.

Perhaps this young man had some fighting spirit after all.

Nines decided right there at that moment that he wanted to toy with Gavin for a lot longer. Leaning comfortably against the table behind himself, he smiled in Gavin’s direction until the young man felt uncomfortable. He winced, and then looked away for a moment, but the severity of the situation was his top priority, as it should’ve been for anyone. He was silently begging for answers, and when Nines smiled widely, Gavin’s patience seemed to have been breached.

He let out an angry cry that seemed to hinge on the begging of a sob. “Please!” he cried out desperately, and he whined as he tugged his hands back, “j-just t-tell me what to d-do, and I’ll do it! Just don’t kill me!!”

Nines decided to be honest with this young Gavin, as he was a very intelligent human from what Nines could tell. Why waste time with false pretenses? Standing up straight, Nines tilted his head down at him, playing with his advantage of height. “You saw something you weren’t supposed to see last night,” he spoke out bluntly and honestly, “and I don’t like making errors when it comes to my work.”

Another spark went on in Gavin’s eyes, though this time, it was one of recognition.

Nines nodded at him. “Yes,” he sneered coldly, “you know very well what it is I do for a living, don’t you?”

Nodding in short, jerky motions, Gavin whimpered. “P-please…”

“What am I to do with you?” Nines asked, searching around the room, “I can’t very well leave you in here…” he turned around slowly, smirking evilly, “…well…” he showed his teeth, making his way slowly for the open door.

“NOOOO!” Gavin screamed out, “DON’T LEAVE ME IN HERE! PLEASE!!”

Laughing heartily, Nines walked back and leaned against the table. “You fool,” he hissed softly, waiting until Gavin had stopped crying out and moving about wildly before he continued in a gentle tone, “I can’t stay here myself for very long; I never rely on one area for more than a day.”

It was a truth, as it’d been easier for people trying to have his head to locate him that way in the past.

Gavin caught on, and he held back tears as he blinked rapidly to clear his vision. “I d-don’t have m-much money with me,” he explained as the tears eventually spilled, “I’m just a-a-a univ-versity student, and I’m s-suffering already f-f-from d-depression and anxiety!”

“Pity fishing?” Nines asked with a quirked brow, not at all interested in whatever ailed this young man. If it was an emotional display Gavin wanted to put on, Nines wouldn’t stop him, but he knew he was already getting weary of it. The young man was absolutely pathetic as he sniffled all over the place and tilted his head from left to right, wiping his nose along his raincoat.

Nines felt disgusted by it, and he took a step towards the bound man. “Stop that,” he snapped coldly, his patience having run out already, “it’s rather unbecoming of a young man to weep as though your own mother’s passed away, wouldn’t you agree?”

Gavin shook his head stubbornly, “I have n-nothing!” he cried out, “j-just please let me g-go! I won’t tell anyone wh-what I saw!!”

“Have you _any_ idea how many times I’ve heard that same phrase?” Nines asked, not waiting to give the young man time to respond, “at least more times than your parents have indeed told you they love you.”

Whimpering softly at the back of his throat, Gavin blinked back more tears, and his messy hair fell forward into his forehead and eyes as he shook his head wildly. “I s-swear,” he whispered as he cried through the words, “I d-don’t even h-have friends; just a g-g-girlfriend, b-but I’d never tell her!!”

Smiling horribly in his enjoyment of Gavin’s misery, Nines gasped. “A girlfriend? How lovely…” he snickered when Gavin looked at him and wiped his eyes by shifting his face along the shoulders of his raincoat. He was trying to make and keep eye contact with the tall android, but he gave up halfway through when Nines smiled viciously. “What’s your girlfriend’s name?”

This had been the exact trigger Nines had been searching for all along. Gavin was suddenly enraged, and he snarled as he spat at Nines’ feet, though his saliva didn’t come anywhere close to his black dress shoes, even. Still, Nines had to admire him for trying it, anyway.

Quirking both brows up, Nines snickered. “That’s her name?” he smiled, “that’s a lovely name, I bet she’s quite charming.”

Gavin threw his head back as he screamed out at the ceiling, “SOMEONE! HELP ME!!!!!!! ANYBODY!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!”

Nines leaned down and he gently gripped Gavin’s chin. The man leapt back, but having nowhere to go, he only bashed his back and shoulders against the wall. The vent was also heavily and strongly bolted into the wall, but when Gavin turned around, he desperately tried clawing and picking at it. His fingernails were soon turning white from the amount of force he was using as he tried yanking the screws out, but they didn’t even budge. He kept at it for minutes, whining and crying as Nines smiled.

“No one can here you; no one comes here,” he stated plainly, lost in thought as he watched Gavin practically beating himself into the vents.

“No!!!” he cried out as he struggled more, “I can’t be away from my family, I can’t be away from my girlfriend! I can’t!! I have to leave!!”

As Nines listened and watched, Gavin’s struggles grew increasingly more violent and desperate, and it made his smiles die down. Here was a man with the will to live. Gavin had the will to continue, the will to fight on, and the will to see himself through the next day. This was somehow different than his other victims. They would beg, but it lacked the appreciation for life that Gavin seemed to withhold. Watching the youth made Nines realize that he was growing ravenous; he wanted to see just how much more Gavin was willing to fight.

As if hearing his thoughts, Gavin screamed against the vent with hints in his vocal tone that he was growing weak already. “I have to be with people!!” he cried out, “else they’ll worry about me, and I’ll worry about them!! I have to go!!! I need to get out!!”

There was that will to live. It overpowered Nines’ lust for killing, and he both resented Gavin for it, and also admired him. The duality of his feelings conflicting within himself internally were giving him too much pressure, and he sensed it rising. He didn’t know how much more of it he could take before he exploded, and he certainly didn’t want to do something he would regret. He needed Gavin alive for a little while longer, and he didn’t like being out of control. He was a skilled and trained assassin; not a hunter loose in the jungle.

Frowning heated and angrily at Gavin, Nines grabbed onto his shoulder, and he forced the young man to move away from the vent. “We must leave here soon,” Nines announced, and Gavin sat up for a moment, coughing as his eyes widened at the hope that he would be let go.

Nines wanted to see his spirit crushed, so he sneered and said, “But I’m going to keep you bound after I release you from the vent, Gavin.”

He knew there was going to be a fight as soon as the young man’s blue-grey eyes fell. A lie was bubbling on the tip of his tongue, and he just whispered out, “Okay…I…I understand…”

Grinning to himself, Nines moved forward carefully. He just knew the youth was going to spring at him, so he took his time with the knot, and he dragged out undoing it for over a minute and a half. When Gavin’s fingers clenched, Nines knew he had to be prepared. There was a lot of fighting spirit and power in this young man, and Nines couldn’t wait to see it for himself.

When he’d slid the rope off Gavin’s wrists for a moment, Gavin held his breath, and Nines smiled at him. They held eye contact for a long time, and Nines looped the rope around his own fingers for a while. When he’d run out of rope, Nines simply sat back on his heels, and Gavin waited until he rose.

Leaning down with a hand outstretched, Nines smiled. “Your hand.”

Gavin didn’t move at all. In fact, he hadn’t even blinked, yet. He was carefully watching.

Nines’ smile fell. “Your hand…”

Gavin looked at his own hand, then. “Right…” he stretched it out for Nines to take, and their fingers were long and extending towards one another…

It would be any second now…

They made contact, and as Nines carefully pulled Gavin up to his feet, he saw for once in daylight just how short the other man was. He barely came up to Nines’ neck, but Nines found he actually enjoyed the height difference. He made plenty of notes to himself to take advantage of it and overwhelm the young man, but for now, he had to tie Gavin’s hands back.

He held the rope up, smiling intently as he did. “I’ll need to tie you up again, Gavin,” he snickered, then, knowing what was going to happen.

“I’m sorry…”

Gavin sighed as he looked down and nodded. His eyes were closed, and Nines knew he was counting.

“It’s okay…”

Nines leaned against him, bringing the rope down to his hands. “Thank you, Gavin.”

Sadly, the young man moved back. He held his hands out for a moment, as if complying and cooperating with Nines, but Nines didn’t trust that he hadn’t looked at him, yet.

One…

Two…

Three…

Gavin suddenly attacked, throwing his entire body weight at Nines. Since the clever android had been expecting it, he stood like a brick wall against Gavin. Their chests collided, and as Gavin wrapped his arms around Nines’ neck, the taller male elbowed him roughly in the stomach, and Gavin leapt back as he gasped for air. Nines brought his hand down over Gavin’s shoulder, and while the shorter male was distracted, Nines shoved him down roughly to the hard floor. Gavin flipped over in the air once, and he landed violently on the hardness below with a loud ‘thud’. As he was momentarily stunned, Nines gripped his wrists, and he was already fixing the binding and knot.

Wheezing out in anger, Gavin fought against him, and he nearly punched Nines in the jaw. His knuckles grazed along Nines’ defined jaw, and the moment they did, the android’s anger hit an all-time new high.

He lost control, and while Gavin was struggling, Nines was trying to hurry with the knot. His accuracy levels were low, and as Gavin bucked wildly against him, his knee knocked into Nines’ arm. The blow was hard enough to send Nines moving back a little from the impact, and he saw red. Anger was all he knew, now, and as he snarled down at Gavin, he leapt on him, and he grabbed his right shoulder. In one violent motion, Nines dislocated it, and he slammed a hand down over Gavin’s mouth as he screamed a terrifying scream that depicted how much pain he was in.

Now that Gavin was distracted by the pain, Nines finished the knot and binding, and he yanked the young man to his feet. As Gavin swayed and held his dislocated shoulder with his other hand, he cried out for his parents over and over.

Scoffing, Nines approached him, and Gavin leapt back. He nearly crashed into the old table, but Nines soon trapped his body between his own and the table as he held out a hand carefully. Gavin shook his head and begged for Nines to stay back, but the android rewarded him by backhanding him in the face. He’d meant to stun Gavin again, and as the young man cradled his cheek with his non-injured shoulder, Nines leaned forward and held his injured and dislocated shoulder.

“The human body is resilient, you know,” he whispered against the adolescent’s ear, “in the blink of an eye, the body can both receive great amounts of pain, and cope with it.” After he stated this, he shoved Gavin’s shoulder back in place. A sickening popping sound echoed in the room, and Gavin screamed once again as he fell to his knees.

Nines smiled and gently pet him on the top of his head. “You did well,” he breathed out with no exhaustion in his voice, unlike the young man rocking on his knees as he swayed while sobbing in extreme amounts of pain and agony.

Lifting him to his feet, Nines shoved him out of the back exit of the old, abandoned hospital where he’d parked his car between two large thickets of trees. The dark vehicle was well hidden, and as Nines unlocked the doors, he made sure he held tightly onto Gavin.

After all, there was going to be another struggle, it seemed.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

“I’m n-not going in there!” Gavin cried out, pointing with his chin at the unlocked trunk of the car.

Nines had expected this, and he held onto his patience as he studied his hands and gloves calmly and coldly. “I won’t repeat myself again, Gavin,” he warned with mild contempt rising in his voice, “get in the trunk.”

“You don’t understand!” the young man was to quick to argue, “I’m claustrophobic!”

That wasn’t a good enough excuse at all, and Nines merely grabbed onto the back of Gavin’s neck. There was resistance, and Gavin reared his head back as Nines tried shoving him into the trunk.

“NO!!!” he practically squealed out, and Nines grunted as he gripped the taillights of the car.

“Get in.”

Not listening to the direct order, Gavin tried squirming away, but Nines kneed him in the back of the shins.

Groaning in pain, Gavin hissed out, “Can’t you throw me in the back or something!?”

Before Nines could respond, Gavin groaned again over his shoulder, “Please! I’m still hurt from you fucking up my shoulder!”

He didn’t know why they were arguing, and he knew he’d never understand why he gave into the childish notions, but Nines began arguing back. He pushed Gavin as hard as he could forward into the trunk. “You’re _going_ to get in the trunk; I have no room for you in the back, because your personal belongings are there.”

It was then that the younger male froze. He slowly turned his neck, and it appeared as though someone had indeed petrified him. He stared at Nines in shock, and Nines nearly reeled back from it. What was this peculiar look? It was both alarming, and yet…intriguing. If Nines didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed that Gavin appeared…grateful?

Over what?

The younger male answered his question for him in no time.

“You…you have my stuff, still?” he asked in a soft and curious tone, and he trembled as he took a step back, his legs hitting the bumper of the car. That didn’t stop him, however, and his jaw hung wide open as he stammered out at Nines. “Wh-why would you k-keep my stuff for?”

Eyeing the small bruise forming on the youth’s cheek and jaw where Nines had hit him earlier, the android smiled in amusement. “I got rid of your bicycle,” he admitted frankly, “I threw it into a dumpster, but I kept your bag, your laptop, your notebooks, pens, notes…”

At the sound of this, Gavin’s eyes widened. He tried lifting his bound arms up as he shook himself about. “MY NOTES!” he yelled out, “THEY’RE FROM MY PARENTS! I WANT TO SEE THEM, NOW!”

Nines snickered, “I know; I read them, and I’m holding onto them for you right now.”

As Gavin’s jaw fell open in shock once more, Nines pointed at his own pockets, “They’re safe, don’t worry.”

“I WANT TO READ THEM!”

“Get in the trunk, then.”

Oh, he loved giving ultimatums. It was as enjoyable to him as drinking a cold glass of thirium whenever he was wounded. He wished he could’ve frozen time now, as the look on Gavin’s face was beyond priceless. It needed to be immortalized, somehow, but Nines didn’t have the time or luxury, currently. He pointed one last time at the trunk, and Gavin’s face turned pained.

Regardless, he didn’t argue back this time, and he backed up and got into the trunk. He lay on his side, and he closed his eyes as he trembled. Nines gripped the door to close the trunk, and he pushed Gavin’s legs and arms into his body.

“Watch yourself,” he grunted, and then slammed the trunk door down on him.

He hoped and wished Gavin would be so stupid to make noise and irritate him.

Oh, he just hoped that would happen; he needed things to take a darker turn.


	3. Bonding with a Puppy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING! Some sexual content!*

Nines pulled to the side of the abandoned, private highway for the second time in less than an hour that late morning. Gavin was unable to keep his end of the deal, so it seemed, and he was far too busy kicking and screaming away in the trunk for Nines to even concentrate on his driving. Not even the radio or music helped, no matter how hard he tried focusing on that as a distraction. He threw open the door of the trunk, and this time, he hadn’t hesitated about drawing out his silver Walther PPQ semi-automatic pistol with a silencer cleverly attached to it. As soon as Gavin saw the weapon brandished boldly in his face, he ceased screaming and kicking, and he cringed as he closed his eyes.

This made Nines smile coldly. “I didn’t want to have to gag you,” he spat viciously, “but it’s looking more and more like a good prospect.”

“Please,” Gavin begged and pleaded gently, eyes still firmly shut, “I just d-don’t want to be in th-this tiny, confined space!”

“I don’t care what you want,” Nines growled, “I need you to stay silent, or else I’ll—”

Those blue eyes bore into his at once, and Gavin had ignored the gun as he inched up, almost like a corpse rising out of the grave. “I swear I’ll be quiet if you let me stay in the back!!”

Again, they were at a crossroad of ‘trust’. But Nines strangely found himself genuinely trusting this young man. Something about Gavin Reed was just entirely different than all his previous victims and clients, even. There was nothing money-hungry or money-greedy about this young man. He didn’t want the title of fame bestowed upon him, nor was he revengeful and vindictive. He was simply trying to survive, and he didn’t appear to come from a family of hateful or prideful bastards hellbent on control and manipulation. There were no games, no lies, no promises of torture and bloodshed around this young man, and it just confused Nines even more.

He decided however to put his weapon away, and he sighed grumpily as he held out a hand and yanked Gavin right out of the trunk. The boy was on his feet in minutes, but he didn’t fight back or struggle as Nines thought he would. Well, if he had, it would’ve been a super dumb move on his part, anyway. Not a single vehicle traveled down this highway, and there were plenty of large hills with signs posted that warned any trespassers of falling and tumbling rocks from the top of the hills. Either way, Gavin was a lot ‘safer’ with Nines, and perhaps the adolescent had sensed that and came to that conclusion for himself.

So much the better, anyway.

Nines threw open the back-seat door, and he shoved Gavin in roughly. As Gavin fell spread eagle on the black seats, Nines got back in the driver’s seat, and they were off within seconds. As the car drove on in a straight path, Gavin wormed his way up, and he leaned against Nines’ seat. His breath was hot against the android’s ear, but he didn’t show any reaction as he glared over at Gavin from the rearview mirror.

“Get back!”

Gavin shook his head, “Not until I get to read my mom’s note!!”

Snarling, Nines reached into his right-hand pocket, and he thrust the crumpled-up note at Gavin. It landed on his lap, and he used whatever strength he had to straighten out the note after placing it on his knees. His eyes swam from left-to-right, and joy and hope flooded his eyes as he read carefully through the note at least three times while Nines observed him casually.

When Gavin was on to his fourth read, Nines snapped at him. “As if you don’t have it memorized already!” he groused as he repressed the desire to smack the note out of the youth’s hands.

Gavin stared up at him with pain evident in his eyes. It seemed as if he was holding back on tears once again, and he sniffled as he looked to the side. “It’s…it’s all I have for now, okay?!”

Yes, that was indeed a truth. His ‘victims’ often had nothing right before their demise, aside from whatever it was Nines chose to give them. Oftentimes, that would just be a quick word or two promising their death wasn’t all for naught, and then Nines would help them see darkness. But this young man was still alive, and he was no doubt thinking about his family, and his girlfriend…

But what of his girlfriend, indeed? Feeling curious about the mysterious woman, Nines smiled at Gavin once he knew he had the young man’s eye contact and attention.

Gavin merely glared dead on at him. “What’s so funny?!”

Nines beamed even brighter at his rough tone. “I searched through your wallet,” he explained truthfully, straightening out a sleeve cuff as he drove on a little slower, wanting to draw out the conversation and time they had together…for some strange reason he didn’t comprehend, currently.

Gavin was still glaring once he heard the admission. “And you also threw away my bike, you prick!!” his shrill, angry cries made Nines chuckle deeply.

“I had no choice; there was no room for it anywhere.”

“Fuck you,” Gavin spat, “that bike cost me an entire summer’s job of working in a shitty call center as a sales rep., and you just threw it out…”

Unperturbed by the foul language directed at him, Nines calmly drove on while smiling from ear-to-ear. “Why is it that you don’t keep a photo of your girlfriend in your wallet, or in your phone, for that matter?”

Gavin blanched, and he stared and searched around the backseat of the car for his phone, no doubt. Nines eyed him with mirth in his eyes, and he hid a growing smile behind his hand over his lips as he observed the young man panicking behind him.

“Where’s my phone?!?!” he cried out when he was unable to locate it.

Nines merely smiled as he placed a hand over his lap, and he reached into the glove compartment, unlocked it, and grabbed the phone. He waved it above his head, but he was careful not to hand it to Gavin when the youth leapt forward with his fingers outstretched. So, so needy…

“GIVE IT BACK!” Gavin yelled from the top of his lungs, and Nines shook his head.

He dangled the phone in the air, and then, when Gavin tried rearing forward again, Nines slammed on the brake pedal. Gavin’s forehead smashed against the back of the driver’s seat, and again, when Nines pressed down hard on the gas pedal, Gavin was violently thrown back against the backseats violently.

Nines threw his head back and laughed while Gavin was carelessly thrown around like a rag doll. It was highly amusing and entertaining, but Gavin kneed the back of the driver’s seat when they were again driving smoothly in a straight line.

“Stop it!” Gavin shrieked, his voice cracking once as he forced more air out of his lungs and vocal chords, “just give me my phone!!”

“I hacked it,” Nines continued, “but I didn’t see a single photo of her…” his eyes then twinkled as he tilted his head curiously at Gavin, “…could it be that she doesn’t even exist?”

Gavin growled and kneed the back of the driver’s seat again defiantly. “I have a girlfriend, cock face!”

Nines merely snorted at him, “I don’t believe you…”

“Her name’s Heather!!”

Quirking a brow, Nines grinned a toothy, wolfish grin. “Thank you for giving me her name so easily; you played into my hands very well, like a fiddle.”

Blushing a furious shade of pink, Gavin gripped his kneecaps tightly, his fingers going white in seconds from the amount of force and pressure. Nines eyed it and smirked to himself. This was a good win; he could get used to tormenting this young man.

Gavin shook with anger. “So you duped me,” he spat, “but whatever, man,” he then tried coolly shrugging, but it seemed so forced that it gave off the impression he was having a seizure instead as his shoulders bunched up. “It’s not like she and I are really dating anyway,” he confessed with rage on the brink of his face and voice, “that’s why I was reluctant to tell you!!”

Nines hummed, “Let me guess…she’s already involved with another man?”

Gavin turned pale. “H-how the…”

“I never took you for the cheating type.”

Gavin turned bright pink once again, and his eyes were wide with a range of emotions. “HEY!” he cried loudly, “I’m not cheating, and neither is Heather!!” he sat up, getting a little close to Nines as he hurriedly pushed out, “she’s gonna leave the guy she’s with because he’s a dick to her, and I was just her friend for a while! We just fell for one another!! It’s not cheating, okay??”

Nines rolled his eyes. “In case you haven’t realized, I’m not really in the habit of abiding by standards of morality and ethics,” he then smirked at Gavin with haughtiness in his eyes and all over his face, “so frankly, I couldn’t care less about your pathetic excuse for a love-life.”

Gavin rammed his chest into the back of the seat. “ _You’re_ the pathetic one!” he snapped, and then sat back down in the backseat as he groaned up at the top of the car. “Where the fuck are you even taking me?!”

“Do you _ever_ shut up!?” Nines snapped back at him, though his voice remained a lot calmer and gentler than Gavin’s had.

Gavin scowled at him for this. “Oh, well excuse me for freaking the fuck out when I just saw you slaughter the shit out of an innocent guy last night!!”

Nines’ expression then turned dark and serious. He gripped the steering wheel tightly in his gloved hands as the events of the killing played back in his head much like a movie. The blood flashed before his eyes, but he smiled as he stared at Gavin in the mirror. “I don’t regret the killing at all,” he confessed proudly, “and if you had some sense in that tiny skull of yours, you’d realize that Zlatko Andronikov was a man who deserved this death…many times over.”

Gavin didn’t respond quickly as Nines expected. Instead, he merely held his head down and sniffled as he dragged and scraped his feet along the bottom of the car. “Please,” he begged softly in a new tone Nines had never heard before. It made the android perk up, and he stared intently at Gavin.

This young man was full of surprises, it seemed…

Nines eyed him carefully. “What is it, now?”

Gavin groaned in pain as he struggled in his bindings. “I need my medication,” he admitted weakly, shifting uncomfortably. “I have depression, and in my bag, I carry with me citalopram…I haven’t taken it yet because of your crap.”

Nines snorted. “You hardly seemed depressed when you were fighting me back at the abandoned hospital.”

“I’m depressed; not retarded!!” Gavin cried out desperately and angrily, eyebrows bunched together in a tight knot as he took in a deep breath. “Please just…just give it to me…”

Nines considered it for a moment when he saw how pained Gavin appeared. “Will you leave me alone if I do?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

He slowed the car down, parked it for a brief moment, and was out of the driver’s seat hurriedly. He’d give anything to have Gavin silent and more subdued, and if it meant that he needed to be on his medication regularly, so be it.

Nines once again opened the backseat door, and he found Gavin’s school bag resting next to his feet. He scanned it hurriedly, LED light flashing blue many times when he located the little bottle of pills in a pocket on the left side of the bag. So the boy hadn’t been lying…excellent.

Reaching for the bag, Nines unzipped it, and he fished out the bottom of pills. They indeed had been prescribed to Mr. Gavin Reed, and he popped open the lid as he pressed a knee onto the edge of the seat beside Gavin. The young man patiently waited, eyes cast down at his feet while Nines tilted the bottle down and grabbed one white pill.

Hoping this would shut the boy up, Nines grabbed his chin in a strong hand, and he pried Gavin’s lower jaw open. Staring intently into his eyes, Nines sneered. “Here, take it.”

Nodding, Gavin leaned forward slowly. Nines didn’t have any water with him, but he didn’t care that the boy had to pop the pill dry. That was how it was going to be, and he stared down at the young man’s pink lips for half a second. He was distracted by how rosy pink they were, and he truly wondered for a moment just how far in the lines of ‘cheating’ Gavin had gone with his ‘Heather’. Probably no too far, Nines mused to himself.

He felt Gavin’s weight shifting on the seat, and as his pink tongue darted out like a snake towards the pill, he stared up innocently right into the center of Nines’ eyes. That look took Nines by surprise, and he froze for a second while Gavin bent his neck towards his outstretched hand.

Suddenly, Gavin let out a roar, and he flung himself forward with his head held high. His teeth were borne, and he clamped down viciously as hard as he could on Nines’ left shoulder. Teeth met the cloth of his dress shirt, but Gavin forcefully bit down quite hard.

It didn’t hurt of course, but it provided a good distraction. Nines growled as he dropped the pill, and he reared back. Once Gavin’s teeth tore away from his skin and neck, Nines punched him roughly in the nose. He hadn’t used nearly enough force to break the bone, however; just to stun the youth. It worked, and Gavin fell back onto the seat as he cried out in pain. Nines leaned over him, and he yanked out the same cloth he’d used to clean his Katana with last night as the blood of Zlatko was still embedded and stained within the white fabric.

Gavin’s eyes widened when he saw the blood, and he inched back as he pleaded.

Nines advanced, not giving a shit about how many times Gavin uttered ‘please don’t’.

He shoved the side of the cloth that was still clean into Gavin’s mouth when his strong fingers dug into his cheeks and pried open his jaw once again. The cloth was jammed into Gavin’s mouth, then, and Nines grabbed his gun once more. He pointed it at Gavin’s temple, and the young man froze before he even could think about spitting the gag out.

“If you remove that, I’ll shoot.” Nines warned, and he backed away slowly, holding a hand over his neck. He pressed it against his skin and felt some thirium leaking out of the bite marks Gavin had left there. It wasn’t too much damage, thankfully, but it needed addressing sooner or later. Still backing away from the backseat, Nines held the gun out and pointed it menacingly at Gavin, and he sat back down in the driver’s seat slowly.

Making sure the gun was still pointed at Gavin, Nines managed to drive on with one hand placed over the steering wheel, while the one wielding his weapon was still aimed at Gavin as he let it rest over the back of his seat. It worked like a charm; Gavin was silent for the rest of the trip.

Smirking to himself triumphantly, Nines commended himself for always relying on his old, violent methods of threats.

As much as Gavin had a fighting spirit, it was good to see it broken down by the simplest of things now and then.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Nines parked his car to the side of the street, stepping out around the curb as he threw open the back doors again and yanked Gavin to his feet. A huge, grey apartment building loomed behind them high above in the late evening sky, and as Gavin stared up ahead at it, Nines tapped his gun against the young man’s chest.

“Move.” That was all Nines said as he gripped Gavin’s elbow tightly, and he pushed into the center of the young man’s back as he led him up towards the back exit of the building hardly anyone used. It was far too late in the evening, and Nines knew no one who lived in the apartment would even dare to look out and notice them.

Using this to his advantage, he made sure Gavin was already inside the building before he shoved him hard up the steps as they ascended towards his room.

Strangely, the adolescent remained silent, and as Nines stared at him, he noticed a few drops of thirium staining over the raincoat collar. Foolish boy.

Their feet hardly made noises as they climbed up to the top floor where Nines’ room was located, and the heavy stench of smoke and old carpets hit Gavin’s nostrils. He sniffed heavily, as if trying to save his breath for a fresher scent, and Nines smirked at him as he grabbed his door key when they approached the last door on the right of the long, narrow hallway.

Gavin stopped and stood next to him, and Nines unlocked his door hurriedly. He shoved Gavin inside first, and then locked the door behind them both as he turned on his lights. As Gavin fell forward on his knees, Nines towered over him, and he gripped the back of his neck forcefully in a tight vice. “I’m going to remove this, now,” he spat as he tugged on one end of the cloth while pressing the silencer of the gun against Gavin’s temple, “but if you scream, you’ll be eternally sorry.”

Gavin nodded hurriedly; eyes clenched shut tightly. It was a lovely sight to see, and Nines yanked the cloth out of his mouth. He was more than prepared to see just how stupid the young man was, but he unfortunately wasn’t. Gavin was silent, and he panted softly as he took in mouthfuls of air as Nines slowly withdrew his weapon. He was slightly disappointed, but he knew the boy valued his own life over acting stupid for a second.

Nines backed away from him, and when Gavin heard his footsteps retreating, he opened his eyes and gazed around the apartment. It wasn’t all too large, and it was entirely absent of any furniture. No paintings hung on the walls, no clocks, no mirrors, no chairs, no sofas, no TV, no tables, no desks, no plants or decoration; nothing. The walls were a dull grey, the ceiling was off-white, and the floor was just a mass of black floorboards that needed to be replaced soon. The lights were dim-yet in good working condition-and they were slightly hurting Gavin’s eyes as he spun around and watched Nines place his gun on top of a ceramic kitchen counter that was completely barren of any items upon its clean surface.

Sitting himself down on his bum, Gavin winced when Nines loomed over him, taking off the first piece of his dark suit. He threw the overcoat on the kitchen countertop, and he glared at Gavin as his thirium gleamed brightly beneath the lights. His wound was still profusely ‘bleeding’ out the blue blood, but he otherwise seemed fine as he studied Gavin sitting down in the center of his ‘living room’.

Gavin stared all around the apartment once again. “Why do you have no furniture?” he asked while staring over at the curtain-free windows that allowed shades of purple, orange, yellow, and red light from the sun and clouds above to pour in.

Nines smiled coldly. “I have no use for that; this isn’t a home meant to be lived in.”

Catching on, Gavin nodded slowly. “It’s just a brief respite…”

“Clever boy.” Nines walked over to him, kneeling down as he grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him to his feet. They marched down past the living room and soon stood before a bathroom. As Nines opened the door and turned on the lights, he pushed Gavin inside as he made sure the boy sat on top of the closed toilet bowl lid. Colliding on top of it roughly, Gavin moaned in pain as Nines yanked open the grey shower curtains.

He began unbuttoning his dress shirt and black dress pants, and Gavin emitted a gasp as he observed what was suddenly going on before him.

Nines turned to him with an eyebrow raised delicately, and Gavin began blushing. “P-please d-don’t…” he begged, tears welling up in his eyes suddenly, and Nines froze for a moment.

It wasn’t too long before he caught onto what had terrified the young male, and as Gavin’s eyes fell to Nines’ partly open zipper, the android threw his head back and laughed.

“You stupid imbecile,” he snapped maliciously, “if I wanted to rape you, I’d have done it many times over when I had numerous opportunities to do so.” He continued undressing, throwing his dress shirt down in a tight ball by his feet as he stepped out of his expensive dress shoes and began taking his belt off.

Gavin’s eyes tore away from Nines’ well-built chest, and he glared down at the floor with hatred and anger so raw and clear that it practically bounced off all the walls in the bathroom and slammed into Nines with a strong force. He gasped for a moment when he saw Gavin’s shoulders shaking, and then he tilted his head down at him as he gripped his belt in his hands.

“Aww,” he cooed down at Gavin, “disappointed?”

“You flatter yourself!” Gavin spat, and Nines merely snorted as he locked the bathroom door and tied Gavin’s legs tightly with his belt, just in case the young man decided to make a break for it while he showered.

Now that his belt was gone, Nines stood back, and he took off his pants and underwear in one go. Gavin was struggling to look away, but it was difficult whenever Nines stepped directly in front of him. Anytime Gavin would turn his head in one direction, Nines would step in his line of view. Eventually, Gavin had enough of it, and he closed his eyes tightly as Nines stood boldly before him. Still, the young man refused to open his eyes, and Nines took half a step back as he chuckled a deep chuckle that seemed to vibrate through the floor.

Gavin’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “You’re sick!”

“Am I?”

“Yes!” the young man argued vehemently, “you’re the one standing here with your dick in my face, practically!”

Peering down at himself, Nines noticed that he wasn’t even hard. His heavy meat simply hung down between his thighs, and he grinned as he backed himself away into the tub. Pulling the curtain behind himself, he encased himself in the shower, and he turned on the water as he got to work on cleaning away the thirium so he could address the tiny wound Gavin had bestowed upon him.

When Gavin heard the water running, he sighed out in relief. “Seriously,” he spat out mutinously, “do you always torment people you want to kill by giving them a show of your naked body or something?”

Nines let the cold water graze down over his flesh and he smiled as he stood beneath the powerful spray of the water. “I’m not ashamed at all of who or what I am; you’re the one who lacks that confidence.”

“Stop spinning it all on me!” Gavin retorted with venom, “it’s not every day a dude swings his cock in my face! God!!”

Ignoring that unnecessary comment, Nines turned about as he watched his thirium pooling and swirling down by his feet as the water washed it all down the drain. “What were you doing there in that alley so deep in town anyway?” That had been the ‘million dollar’ question he’d had for Gavin since he knocked him out cold on the ground. He hoped Gavin would answer him, now, and he patiently waited as he focused all his listening and hearing powers on the youth as he sat still on the toilet bowl lid.

Gavin was breathing in deeply through his nose, and his heart rate was all over the place like a wild hare tearing through meadows and fields as it hid away dearly for life. Nines ran his tongue over his lips unconsciously while he ran his hands through his wet hair.

Finally, Gavin sighed. “I was just on my way to see Heather,” he admitted, “she lives on campus, and she told me in class that her boyfriend was going out drinking with some buddies, so I was going to see her…”

Nines smirked. “What were you planning on doing?”

With a sharp breath inhaled into his lungs, Gavin snorted, “We were gonna play Snakes and Ladders,” he hissed out sarcastically, and it made Nines’ head spin with delight. He loved the answers and sarcasm seeping out of the adolescent not too far away from the other side of the shower curtain. It delighted him as they engaged in such a psychological word game, and Nines wanted more.

“Snakes and Ladders?” he chuckled, “do tell…”

“What the fuck do you think we were gonna do, dumbass?” Gavin snarled his way, his feet once again scraping along the tiled floors.

Nines smiled. “I doubt you could handle that.”

Pausing for a moment, Gavin gasped. “I’ve had a few girls! Fuck off!”

“You’re a liar.” It was so easy to scan the boy’s heart rate and blood pressure, and he was indeed lying.

As the steady beating of the shower water rained down over Nines and the tub floor, Nines grinned as he washed the rest of his body slowly. He deliberately took his time, patiently waiting for the hot-headed Gavin Reed to explode. If there was one thing this young man held vehemently and strongly onto, it was his pride and ego. He had a strong sense of arrogance and chauvinism that Nines hadn’t ever seen before in one as young as Gavin, but it was truly refreshing, and he loved every second of the pathetic display of it.

He sensed Gavin about to implode in anger, and it was only due to how silent Nines was. Anything Nines seemed to do was a trigger for the young man in a way, and Nines began making plenty of mental notes and observations for future references as Gavin sat in silence.

Soon, he’d reached his limit, and he growled as he screamed out, “I’ve had a girl give me a blowjob before, and I loved it!!”

Chuckling, Nines watched as his wound slowly began to cease leaking out thirium. He would be able to close it up now with some gauze and pressure. Perfect.

Going back to their ‘conversation’ now that the wound had been cleared and cleansed, Nines stood tall and pushed his wet hair back as he turned to shut off the water. “You’re still nothing but a puppy,” he hissed, and Gavin swallowed so loudly it practically overpowered the noises from the shower drain and facets.

He lowered his voice as he spoke slowly, “I almost went down on a girl, too…”

“Hmm,” Nines mused to himself as he shut off the water and pushed open the shower curtains. When he stood before Gavin, he found that the adolescent was merely staring down at the tiles, though he seemed to know Nines was glaring intently at him. He reacted to it physically by clenching his fingers and legs. The limbs were still tightly bound, but Gavin was really forcing himself to tense and clench up, and Nines sighed.

“You’ll hurt yourself and drain all your energy that way, you know.”

“I don’t care,” Gavin spat out, and Nines shrugged as he moved out of the tub and stood dripping wet. He ran his hands through his shortly cropped hair, flicking the water off his skull as he let the cool air of the early night dry his body off naturally.

It was too quiet, but before Nines could poke away psychologically at the youth again, Gavin pressed out painfully, “What’s wrong with still being a virgin, anyway?”

Tilting his head down at him, Nines chose not to comment about his own inexperience in that department as well. “I didn’t say there was much wrong with it.”

Feeling emboldened by this suddenly, Gavin glanced up. “I’ve also fingered a girl before, and she had a pretty good orgasm, you know!”

Nines smiled down with an air of pride at him. “I’m sure you have,” he purred honestly, “I am not questioning your sexual prowess.” Moving away from Gavin, Nines headed into his ‘bedroom’, where only a small suitcase sat near the empty closet. Opening it swiftly, he dressed in a three-piece black suit, and he hurriedly grabbed his white tie in his hands. Leaving the dress shirt open and unbuttoned, he felt his hair drying off quickly, and he made his way back inside the bathroom.

Prying the mirror off the bathroom wall, he revealed a small hole that the mirror had been hiding away.  Within that hole in the wall, he grabbed an emergency health kit, and he quickly pressed and taped the gauze over the wound that was closing up. He just needed it there for the night, and then it would be fine.

Turning around, he saw Gavin eyeing the spot he’d covered wearily, and Nines placed the mirror back above the sink in its rightful place. “I read your acceptance letter,” he suddenly announced to Gavin, “congratulations are in order, I suppose.”

Smiling weakly, Gavin nodded. “I received it a few months after I applied. Been saving up for two and a half years to go to school…”

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty,” the young man admitted, “my birthday was in October.”

They were already past April, and Nines smiled at him for his honesty. “And you’re studying Economics?”

Gavin responded with a curt nod, “Yep, but it’s not my program of choice.”

This was a little surprising. When Nines had first stumbled upon the young man, he appeared the ‘bookworm’ type, especially befitting business and such. He only wondered what Gavin truly wanted to study, and he gently grabbed onto his shoulder as he stood him up so he could untie his belt from around his legs. “What did you really want to study?” he finally asked once the belt slid away from Gavin’s thin legs.

As he stood before Gavin, the young man shifted his weight on his legs as he shrugged and didn’t meet his eyes. “I dunno,” he huffed, “maybe like a sports instructor? I mean,” he smiled lightly, “I enjoy working out and looking good, and I also like teaching…maybe I could work both those passions in and become a gym teacher or something.”

“Hmm,” Nines hummed again, and he unlocked the bathroom door as he led Gavin back out down the hall and toward the spacious, empty ‘living room’. As Nines leaned against a wall by the windows, he smiled at Gavin with amusement evident in his eyes.

Gavin caught the look, and he frowned. “What?”

Nines shrugged, “It’s interesting to see how much you opened up to me after I barely made much of an effort, isn’t it?”

Irritation bled through Gavin at once, and he growled in a warning as he sat down in the most ‘comfortable’ position he could. “How do you know I haven’t lied to you once?” he countered with a grin, “I could’ve made half of that shit up!”

“I can tell who’s lying to me and who isn’t, you stupid brat,” Nines hissed, though it wasn’t entirely too cruel as he nodded at Gavin.

The insult momentarily stunned Gavin, but he recovered from it quickly as he puffed his chest out in arrogance. “Whatever,” he snapped out, “I still need my meds, you son of a bitch!”

“As if I can trust you, now,” Nines sneered at him, folding his arms over his chest as he watched Gavin struggle in his binds.

“I’m serious, dude!” Gavin argued back, “I have weird, suicidal thoughts if I don’t get my pills!”

Nines was suddenly both curious, but also angry by this. Just what on earth did this young thing have in his life that enabled him to be depressed?! The last time Nines checked, the young man had a girlfriend, loving, supportive parents, he was getting a decent education, got out a lot, wasn’t too bad looking, and was intelligent. What lacked?!?!

Taking a step towards him, Nines was about to ask the question, when he saw a red laser dot lining itself up in the center of Gavin’s forehead. It was coming from the window before them, and Nines felt his survival instincts kicking in.

“GET DOWN, NOW!” Throwing himself directly on top of Gavin, Nines shoved him out of the way, and they both went sliding and sailing across the floors as the powerful bullet pierced through the window and blasted through a wall. It zipped by where Gavin had previously been sitting, and it lodged itself in the white wall as Gavin and Nines lay on the floor flatly.

Pressing down on Gavin’s back and head, Nines held him down, and when he saw the red dot disappearing from his walls, he sighed in relief while Gavin trembled and whimpered into the floor.

“Hush,” Nines growled, removing his hands off the young man as he lay on his side. “They’re gone.”

Gavin still didn’t move; he just curled into a fetal position, and he shook violently while Nines stared up at the white ceiling. After some time, Nines heard his phone vibrating madly. Knowing it was likely highly important, Nines crawled to his feet, though he kept down low as he fumbled around in the kitchen and snatched his phone off the countertop.

It was a text message he’d received from an unknown, private number. Still, that didn’t protect the identity of the person who’d texted him. Nines read the single sentence on his screen, and he snarled as he pieced together who it was.

**_Double-crossing bastard, Zlatko lived._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens O_O


	4. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Hank and Connor ;)

“Wake up, Lieutenant, wake up!!”

Hank Anderson grumbled when he felt two strong hands shaking him roughly. He didn’t want to, but he opened an eye slowly, and he was staring up into the curious, dark brown eyes of his best friend and work partner, Connor. Ever since they’d both opened up their own private investigations business, Connor had volunteered to happily take on majority of the workload, both inside and outside business hours, unfortunately.

The paternal-like android was always around Hank, and he was constantly showing up at his house, waking him up so they could get an early start, as well as preparing him breakfast, meals, coffee, everything.

Growling at Connor’s concerned expression, Hank pressed a strong, heavy hand in the center of Connor’s chest, and he gave him a mighty shove. Connor moved off the bed a little, and the mattress shook as Hank got up slowly.

“You bastard,” he growled at Connor, “you know damn well that when you wake me up, I can’t ever get back to sleep!”

Smiling warmly, Connor scratched the back of his head. “It’s something of an emergency, Lieutenant…”

“Guh,” Hank grumbled, fumbling around for his glasses on his night table. “What’s the damn time, anyway?”

“Almost eight in the morning.”

“Jesus Christ, Connor!!”

Grabbing onto his arm, Connor helped him swing his legs over the side of the bed, and he handed him his TV remote control. Flicking the TV on, Connor pointed at the news channel that was displayed on the screen.

“Police responded to an emergency call around six in the morning today,” a lovely female reporter android spoke out clearly before the screen with a worried expression, “in the alleyway between Barnaby’s Liquor and many vacant neighboring buildings, a jogger discovered the corpse of what appeared to initially be Zlatko Andronikov lying dead in a pool of his own blood.”

Hank paled, and he was up and on the alert in a jiffy. Hooking his fingers onto Connor’s arms, he pushed the android out of his bedroom quickly. “We’re leaving, now!!”

As the TV blared on in the background, both investigators got ready, leaving behind Sumo-Hank’s beloved pet, and the TV blasting throughout the house as the morning brightened.

They’d reached the crime scene in less than twenty minutes, and it’d been taped off and sealed away from curious citizens, independent investigators and journalists. The DPD was already there, but it was a problem for both Hank and Connor. Since they’d both quit working for the Detroit Police Department, they often clashed heads with Captain Jeffrey Fowler and other officers who wanted them out and off their cases. But Hank was a stubborn old man, and he always found a way to sneak around and obtain as much information as possible.

Thankfully, Officer Tina Chen and Chris Miller were already on site, and they were one of the few cops who genuinely liked Hank and Connor, and weren’t above helping them out due to a strong bond and friendship they’d built over the years of working together.

Tina already had a fresh cup of coffee in her hands, and she offered it to Hank as he glared down at the covered-up body.

“The fuck happened?” Hank growled out as he sipped the coffee.

“Looks like a stab wound,” Chris supplied while Hank bent down and took a peek under the blue cover serving as a shield of sorts as it hid the body from prying eyes. Hank winced when he saw just how deep the wound was. There was no way a simple knife did this. The angle of the entry was just too wide, too deep, and it looked jagged as bits of flesh and fat hung from the open bowels of the corpse.

“Gruesome,” Hank commented, eyes looking up at the pale face. “Looks like Zlatko to me,” he grumbled, standing up when he couldn’t take the stench of death, and the buzzing flies around him any longer.

“It’s not,” Connor interrupted, leaning down as he grabbed the hand of the corpse, and studied the fingers. He’d scanned the fingerprints, and he shook his head.

“I’m so grateful you didn’t fucking lick his hand,” Hank spat at him, shivering as he tried downing the rest of his coffee while Tina and Chris chuckled lightly.

Ignoring the comment, Connor nodded. “This isn’t Zlatko; it’s one of his many doubles.”

Hank’s jaw fell open, as did Chris’ and Tina’s. “The hell?!”

Connor shook his head, mild disappointment etching into his features. “Really Lieutenant,” he scolded, “a man like Zlatko isn’t one to go down that easily; he runs an underground android sex ring, a drug trafficking ring, and god only knows what else.”

Tina sighed, “Whoever targeted him had to have known that, though, right?”

Connor hummed, “I don’t know; this wasn’t a robbery or anything of the sort…I think it was a hit.”

Snorting, Hank waved a hand at Connor. “Look, we all know everyone hates Zlatko’s guts,” he began, playing with the empty paper coffee cup irritably, “but who the fuck would go through such an extent to hire someone to kill him if they knew he had doubles?”

“I don’t know,” Connor sighed, turning around as he stared all around in the alleyway while officers held back reporters that were still gathering like vultures before them. They were all so news-hungry that it made Hank sick to his stomach.

Connor eyed them warily, but turned back to peer at the covered body. “Let the coroner examine him,” he suggested, “but we better consider the possibility that Zlatko himself is involved in this.”

Hank raised a brow. “The hell? Do you mean that he himself ordered a hit on himself?!?!” It all sounded so very strange, that even Tina and Chris had to take a moment to laugh. They covered their laughter up when civilians noticed and grew quiet, desperately trying to get an earful of their conversation.

Hank threw them dirty looks, but didn’t comment beyond that while Connor chewed his lower lip, deep in thought as he began pacing around the corpse. “I wouldn’t say that entirely,” he began in a low tone, “but it is a good possibility…”

“No, I don’t agree, Connor,” Hank shook his head while he pointed at the corpse. “A lot of motherfuckers want Zlatko dead, and I think this is just the work of a serial killer going through all the ‘doubles’ until he or she gets his or her hands on the real Zlatko.”

“Fair enough, Lieutenant,” Connor sighed, moving away from the corpse as he followed Hank down the alleyway towards their car. “We should be able to tell more once the body is examined,” he suggested openly, “but I personally believe that Zlatko isn’t working alone in this at all.”

Hank was silent up until he stood by his car. He unlocked the doors, but he frowned intently at Connor as his partner’s words finally sank in his skull and through his brain. “I still don’t understand why Zlatko would be making such a public spectacle of himself, Connor,” he pointed out cleverly, “I mean, who the hell would just go around drawing that kind of attention to themselves, especially if they’ve worked hard for years on eluding law enforcement?”

“It makes no sense, I know,” Connor nodded, “truth be told, it doesn’t make much sense to me either…”

Smirking, Hank played with his car keys. “See?” he chuckled, “time to get that theory out the window, I’d say.”

Not wanting to argue, Connor sighed in defeat. “As you wish, Lieutenant.” He waited for Hank to open the passenger door for him, and he got in along with him, then. “Where to, now?”

Hank pet his gut and snickered. “Breakfast time; fuckin’ starved!”

Connor only smiled at him as they drove off without another word spoken between each other, though the case and the interesting clues and hints burned hotly in both their minds for some time.

 

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“What the hell is your name, even?”

The question had made Nines turn towards Gavin for the first time that morning. Nines had been sitting down on the kitchen floor, glaring angrily down at his phone the entire time. He was lost in his madness and thoughts, but Gavin had ironically been both his savior and his tormenter by yanking him away from his phone for a brief moment. Nines glared away at Gavin, and he cruelly snapped, “Agent 47.”

Snorting at this response, Gavin rolled his eyes as he still lay on his back. “Yeah, okay,” he laughed, “in your dreams, dipshit.”

His phone was running out of battery, but that didn’t stop Nines from reading over the message for the hundredth time. Zlatko was dead! He’d killed him with his own hands!! Unless…unless it hadn’t been Zlatko indeed, but a body double…

No one had warned him about this potentially happening, not even his client. It angered Nines to no end, and he cursed himself for not taking a good look at the client when they met. He was just told by the client to refer to them as ‘The Shadow Client’, nothing more, nothing less, and Nines always maintained that distance between his clients for safety measures. Sadly, he knew that rule had come back to bite him in the back, and he twisted his lips in agony and anger as he struggled for an answer.

“Wanna tell me who the fuck shot at us?” Gavin asked while lying on his back, legs outstretched as he turned to his side so he could glare away at Nines from his spot on the floor.

Nines scowled back as he spat out, “I’m trying to figure that out myself.”

“Was it the ghost of the man you killed?” Gavin quipped, and Nines merely crawled away from the safety and cover of the kitchen counter.

“This is no laughing matter,” he pointed out bluntly, but Gavin didn’t stop smiling. In fact, he threw his head back and laughed harder, despite being bound tightly. He wriggled around a little, and Nines scoffed at him.

Gavin shook his head as he panted out, “It’s kinda funny because you’re the one with a price tag on your head now, bitch.”

“You look like a maggot when you squirm around like that,” Nines fired back, angry that Gavin’s insults had somewhat struck a chord within him. He hated that the tables were slightly turned, now, and he knew they couldn’t linger around here much longer. They had to head over to the DPD, and Nines knew he had to sneak in to examine the body himself. He wasn’t a fool; he knew the police had already dropped by to investigate, and he needed a leg up on this bloody mess, before it was too late.

Suddenly, his thoughts had been interrupted when he heard deep grumbling. It came from Gavin’s stomach, and the young man groaned as he looked down at it. “I’m hungry,” he stated dully, and Nines rolled his eyes as he crawled over to him.

“I don’t have food.”

Gavin’s face turned pained, “I know, but I need my fuckin’ meds, too!”

Nines felt something within him snapping, and he was certain it was his patience. “Fine.” Grabbing Gavin’s collar tightly, he practically tore the sleeve of the raincoat clean off him, and when Gavin tried shaking himself out of it, Nines roared and ripped it clean off his body. Beneath it, Gavin had been wearing a black sweater, and Nines hooked his fingers onto that as he pulled the young man over towards his front door.

“Stay quiet,” Nines warned as he threw the door open, “I’ll get you the medication, the food; everything, just stay silent, else you’re going back in the damn trunk!!”

Surprisingly, Gavin remained silent, and he allowed Nines to lead him back to the black car, and he was thrown in the backseat once again. Nines didn’t know where he was headed off to, but he soon found himself driving up to a convenient store while Gavin peeked through the heavily tinted windows. The car slowed down, and Nines pointed at Gavin, “I’ll be back; whatever I get, don’t complain, else I’ll—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the adolescent snorted, “you’ll shove me in the trunk, I got it.”

Huffing at his show of attitude, Nines merely exited the car, and he ran inside the store. What did the young man want?? Why did he care?? Why was he questioning it?? A million thoughts swam about in his mind at once, and while Nines was partly distracted, he did take a form of relief and satisfaction from the fact that this shop didn’t have any security cameras about.

He moved to the back of the store, grabbing cold water from the fridge, and then two granola bars. Making his way back out the front doors, Nines heard feet shuffling next to him, and he turned as he was face-to-face with a middle-aged man. He had thinning grey hair, but he smiled in a greeting at Nines.

“Good morning, sir,” he chirped, “were you able to find what you were lo—”

Nines reached forward and snapped his neck swiftly, and then carried his body and dumped it behind the front counter of the shop. Witnesses were the last things he needed, now, and making sure to cover the face of the older man with a newspaper, he hurried out the doors once again and flung himself in the backseat next to Gavin, this time.

The young man yelped upon his abrupt entry, but Nines gripped his jaw, and he dug around in Gavin’s bag once more for the bottle of pills. Grabbing one quickly, he popped open the cap of the cold water bottle, and he forcefully dumped as much of the water into Gavin’s mouth as he could. It leaked down from the sides of the young man’s face, and he choked and sputtered as Nines ripped open one granola bar. Shoving it down Gavin’s throat, practically, he pushed up beneath his jaw to force Gavin to get chewing. The young man fumbled around and fought back, but Nines gripped his hair atop his head roughly as he growled in a warning.

Holding up the pill in the center of his gloved hand, Nines pressed it against Gavin’s mouth, and he watched as this time around, the adolescent did in fact take the pill. It was sucked into his mouth quickly, and then Nines replaced his hand with the water bottle, practically making it bash into Gavin’s lips and teeth as he forced more water down the young man’s throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he quickly drank whatever he could down with the pill, and he closed his eyes in pain and discomfort while Nines let go of his hair.

When the water was all gone, Nines sighed as he flung the bottle down at their feet violently. Thankfully, it was now all done, and as Gavin wiped his lips on his sweater sleeves, Nines ran a hand through his own hair. It was once again messy, he found…

Growling again, he waited until Gavin was panting to catch his breath, chest and stomach heaving as he closed his eyes and just tried relaxing himself. “I hope that is all the trouble you’re going to cause for a while, now,” Nines hissed in a warning, clenching his teeth tightly together as his eyes clouded over with anger. “I have a lot to do today, and I need you to get the hell out of my way, are we clear??”

Eventually, Gavin caught his breath, and he groaned as he opened his eyes and stared right at Nines. He was met with a look of contempt from the android. “Are we clear, Gavin?”

The boy panted, still, though it seemed to be more from desperation, now. “What’s your name??” he asked softly, not giving up when Nines turned away from him. “Please,” he begged gently, “you know my name, but I don’t know yours!!”

“Maybe it’s because an idiot like yourself doesn’t deserve to know my name,” Nines flung cruelly at him, but Gavin laughed breathlessly.

He shook his head slowly, his pupils blowing up widely, no doubt from the pills he’d just taken into his system. “No…” he disagreed, “…maybe it’s because you don’t even have a name?”

Lips curling back, Nines grabbed onto Gavin’s throat, though it wasn’t a tight grip…yet. He leaned against Gavin and snarled before him. “I assure you, brat,” he warned in a guttural, animal-like tone, “I _do_ have a name.”

Defiance was written all over Gavin’s face. He merely smiled as Nines tightened his grip on his neck, and his face slowly started turning pink all over. “Wh-what is it, th-then?”

He paused for a moment, tightening his hand around the boy’s neck even more, and Gavin gasped as he began truly choking for air, now. Still, he glared head-on at Nines, refusing to look away while Nines sat back in amusement.

“That defiant look in your eyes,” Nines pointed out with a smirk, “even though I could crush your windpipe and break your neck, you laugh in my face…bold, bold move…”

Gavin smiled on, but otherwise was silent. His eyes were turning red, and the veins in his eyeballs were prominent the more Nines squeezed. The temptation to just break him and end his life now occurred to Nines for a moment, but then, suddenly, Nines felt pain in his chest somewhere. It was an acute pain, at first, and then it spread like cancer until it took over him. He didn’t know what the hell it was, but he released Gavin slowly, his fingers still hovering around the column of the young man’s neck, just in a minor warning as Nines struggled hard not to reveal that he was in great pain.

Gavin’s eyes flickered down his body, and Nines stared down at himself as well. No, he hadn’t been shot or stabbed, but the pain was still there, throbbing dully. Gavin’s hands were still bound by his back, and he merely coughed as the imprints of the pressure from Nines’ fingers upon his neck finally became more obvious. Gavin’s skin was now light red, and it would no doubt turn purple before the day was out.

Still, Nines didn’t feel much remorse over that, and he grinned cruelly as he leaned into Gavin and whispered in his ear. “I’m Agent Nines.”

Coughing, Gavin smiled down at his feet. “Nines?”

“Agent Nines, yes…”

“Why Nines?”

Why indeed. It wasn’t as intriguing as having a model number or clone of himself running around such as a number eight, or ten; no, he couldn’t remember much beyond why they called him Nines.

Sitting back, Nines played with the back of his gloves, his fingers resting comfortably within them as he fought to recollect his thoughts. Images were flashing behind his eyes, but he cut down through each and every one of them, well ahead of time before the emotions and feelings they each held took over him.

No.

Emotions were a sign of weakness, and he was _not_ weak. He never would be…never again.

Settling for the shortest of answers, he merely spat out for Gavin, “It’s just what my superiors call me, and it was labeled and etched into my skin when they found me.”

Gavin raised a brow, “The number 9?”

“900,” Nines corrected, and shut his mouth tightly after that, staring out the window as he opened the backseat door to make his way back to the driver’s seat once more. Before he left Gavin’s side, however, he pointed a finger into his sternum.

The young man swallowed thickly, and his eyes fell down to the finger prodding his chest for a moment before he looked back into Nines’ eyes. Though he was met with anger and hatred, he didn’t back down from it, and Nines inched away slowly. “Don’t ask me anymore questions,” he warned holding onto the door as he got ready to slam it shut, “and shut your mouth until I allow you to talk, got it?”

Only a nod was his answer, but it pleased Nines greatly.

The boy was a fast learner, indeed.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Nines eyed the Detroit Police Department building cautiously, scanning it numerous times as he tried deciding on how to sneak in so he could make his way into the basement and examine the body he’d sliced through not too long ago. It was no doubt so cold, now, but he needed to see and confirm for his own eyes whether that was Zlatko he’d killed or not.

The coroner’s office wasn’t too far away from the parking lot, but there were security cameras all over the damn place. The best way he’d be getting in through the back doors was if he had a disguise. Luckily, his wound had healed up, and he was more than pleased to take the gauze off as he let his human layer of skin be exposed to the fresh air.

Turning back to Gavin, he smiled as he saw the young man cowering down at the bottom of the car, closing his eyes as Nines gently stroked the top of his head with the nozzle of his gun. His plan had formed slowly, and he was grateful that he had been gifted with silence from Gavin. He was through with his thinking, and the moment he saw an android almost the same height as him walking around with a briefcase and a folder, he knew he’d found his disguise.

He glared down at Gavin, already grabbing the same white cloth he’d gagged the young man with previously. First, he’d covered his body carefully with his torn raincoat to shield him from prying eyes. Gavin eyed the cloth in fear, and he trembled as he shook his head and inched away. Nines leaned over the seat, and he grinned as his hands swooped down over Gavin.

“No! Please don—”

The cloth had been jammed into his mouth, and Nines this time grabbed duct tape he’d hidden away beneath the passenger seat. Taping it firmly over Gavin’s lips, he winked at the bound and gagged adolescent, and he was slowly opening the car door. Careful not to make any sounds, Nines pressed his back against the car door, and he ducked out of view as the tall android made his way ahead of him, no doubt heading for the entrance to the building.

It was the best opportunity, and Nines couldn’t believe his luck. He scanned the android, and he was happy that it hadn’t even noticed him trailing it. He kept down low between cars parked all around, however, and he practically floated as he shifted closer, and closer, and closer. Soon, the back of the grey suit the android was wearing was in full view, and Nines knew he had to pounce now, before a security camera feed caught them. Leaping forward on the back of his legs, Nines wrapped a hand around the android’s mouth, and he bashed him over the head with a strong, clenched fist. He’d aimed right for his visual processors, and the android’s eyes snapped shut immediately. His LED light blinked off, but he would be fine an hour or so.

Dragging his body behind a large van, Nines hurriedly dressed himself up in his suit, and he dug around in the suit pockets for anything else that would prove useful. There wasn’t much, however, and he made sure to keep his head bowed low as he got up and moved away from the van as calmly and naturally as possible. Up ahead, there were two cameras eyeing him, but when he kept his head down and remained calm. The little red power lights indicating everything was now being recorded didn’t bother him, and he was at the doors in an instant.

Smirking to himself, he entered the DPD, and he beamed to himself when he saw what a busy hubbub of a hive it was.

Officers and Lieutenants ran about the place quickly, phones rang, officers were yanking around suspects and newly arrested citizens, and orders were barked around everywhere. The building was bright, luminous, and very loud. Altogether, it was perfect for sneaking around, and Nines took a moment to pull up his ‘map’ of the building.

All he had to now do was head down to the left, make another sharp left after walking for twenty steps, and then he’d be down before a hallway that lead to the steps leading down to the coroner’s office.

His feet had made their way down the hall, and he still kept his head down as he held his hands at his sides. The suit felt crisp and clean on him, and he knew he no doubt looked as confident in it as he felt. He turned left, and he had taken his eleventh step, when an officer was leaning casually against a water fountain.

Nines stared down at them, and he took note of the blue baseball cap they were wearing. It didn’t seem too out of place, so Nines gently moved closer to them, and he pretended to trip over his feet when another officer rounded the corner by the water fountain. Since Nines was in his way, that officer tried moving around Nines, but he accidentally bumped into the officer about to have a drink from the water fountain.

Immediately, the cap had been knocked off his head, and Nines swiped it clean in midair while the clumsy officer began apologizing to his co-worker.

Leaving them to their devices, Nines placed the baseball cap on his own head, and he bent his head down low as he finally made his last left turn before he reached the hallway leading down to the steps. Suddenly, a strong hand slammed down on his shoulder.

He remembered to remain calm, though his eyes widened slightly when he smelled strong tobacco near his right-hand shoulder. Heavy footsteps shuffled, and then a deep voice growled out before him, “Connor! Where the fuck were you?!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dressing up was always a part of what made Hitman games fun to me, but low-key hated how quickly enemy A.I.s caught onto me -_-


	5. Bloody Imposter

 

Voices were all Gavin could hear as he lay trembling at the bottom of the car. His body felt hot and sweaty-not only due to the raincoat draped over him, but also due to the fact that he was certain his body was reacting badly to his medication. The important question was ‘why’, however. He’d been on these pills for months, and he was always careful enough to take one per day…

One…

Closing his eyes as he willed himself to remember vividly, Gavin groaned when the memories of Agent Nines holding up his gloved hand before his mouth were conjured up. In the previous experience and memory, Gavin distinctly recalled only one pill in the center of the android’s palm, but as his body ached and his head throbbed, he suddenly remembered that that hadn’t been the case at all…

He could barely make anything out as the voices in his head throbbed and echoed around in his inflamed skull, and when he heard feminine laughter outside the car, he tried inching himself up to rise on his knees. It was impossible; his legs weighed a ton, and his head was swimming beyond belief.

_I can’t…I can’t…oh god, it’s so warm…it’s so hot…_

He closed his eyes as he willed himself to fight and not give up, and as the memories flooded in painfully, he suddenly saw right there in broad daylight that Nines was pouring cold water forcefully into his mouth. His gag reflexes hadn’t been so good, and when the granola bar had nearly choked him, he blinked back tears before he threw up, even though his stomach was empty. Something popped, and his ears were on fire, as were his tongue and lips as he tried not to choke. In between tears and gasping for air, he suddenly looked down, and he saw not one, but _two_ pills being pushed past his lips into his mouth…

_Motherfucker…he drugged me on purpose!!!_

But he was a fighter. He was going to live through this, and he kicked and screamed as hard as he could, especially now that he heard car doors unlocking and slamming open and shut. Surely someone would hear him if he made enough noise!!

The gag was in his mouth deeply, and he breathed around it as he shrieked and slammed his heavy legs as powerfully up and down as he could. It appeared unfortunately that it wasn’t nearly enough to gain attention, and the voices outside soon died down, and the cars drove off away.

_Noooo! Please come back!!! COME BACK!!!!!!! DON’T LEAVE ME IN HERE!!!!!_

Gavin was definitely panicking, now, and as he rocked himself and slammed his body around on the bottom of the vehicle, he felt all his energy slowly seeping out of him. It was no use; the pill was taking over, and even now, his eyelids were growing heavy. The need to sleep was overpowering him and dominating him, and he sobbed softly as he truly felt so alone. Was this really what his life was going to come down to? Wandering the city drugged out of his mind with some maniacal android who lived to kill? Would he ever see his parents and family again??

That last thought of dying alone without seeing his father or mother shook something within him, and Gavin let out a mighty roar as he fought back one last time. He didn’t have much energy left, but god damn it, he wasn’t going down without one last fight. He needed to know he actually had tried hard, instead of rolling over and allowing the son of a bitch Agent Nines to do as he pleased.

As long as he made an effort, nothing would end in hopelessness…

He kicked and kicked and kicked, and when Gavin had no more energy, he felt his arms weighing down and tingling. If felt as if a hundred ants were crawling all over his skin, but there was nothing he could do as his arms flopped down at his right side, tightly bound together, still. He didn’t even felt pain; he was entirely numb, but a loud ‘slash’ hit his ears when his knuckles crashed onto something hard. It took all the energy he had to peer to the right where his hand was, and as he felt himself succumbing to his fate and to sleep, something shiny glinted up at him right next to his thigh.

As he squinted weakly, he saw that as he’d been lost in his thrashing, he’d accidentally knocked his hand against a small concealed button beneath the foot placemats. Beneath that, a small door and compartment had opened up, and Gavin’s eyes widened slightly when the gleam of the sharp knives hidden away in the compartment greeted him.

_Oh my god, my prayers have been answered!!!_

Feeling joy spiking in his veins like fire, Gavin knew he still had to fight, on, now. Taking in mouthfuls of air around the cloth, and then through his nose, he remembered his father’s words still ringing clearly as bells chiming in his ears, and they were the only words of guidance and wisdom he needed the most in such a dark time.

_Remember, my son, you’re a Reed; you’re a fighter. You can’t ever give up, because I never gave up on you. Don’t give up, Gavin. Never!_

_Never, father._

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Nines looked down at the older male with long, grey hair pulled back in a small ponytail as he greeted him. The man also had grey eyebrows, a grey beard, and had plenty of kindness, wisdom, and friendliness shining in his blue eyes. Nines avoided looking directly into his eyes, as he had no idea who this ‘Connor’ even was that the older male had referred to him by. He remembered quickly however that he’d targeted that particular android because he was almost a near spitting image of himself, except for the fact that he had brown eyes.

It was time to use his android powers quickly. Blinking down at the floor, Nines focused hard on changing his eye color. He was very skilled in the art of changing his appearance, and after half a second of just thinking about the other android’s face before his very eyes, Nines slowly smiled up at the older man, and he saw recognition there when the older male gazed into dark brown eyes, now.

“Did you get lost or something?”

Nines wanted to answer, but he had no idea just who this man even was. Luckily, as he stalled for time a little, someone else breezed by, and they slapped the older male roughly on the back as they laughed. “Didn’t think I’d ever see your ugly mug around here, Anderson!”

The older male whipped around and snarled, “Piss off, Perkins!!”

Anderson? Very well. He could work with that.

Nines assumed this man was possibly a Lieutenant, just due to how confident he was, and how seasoned he appeared to be. He wasn’t the big boss, though he appeared he wanted to be as he searched around through the bullpen and halls of the precinct.

Knowing he was silent for longer than he should’ve been, Nines merely smiled while Lieutenant Anderson placed his hands on his hips and threw him a perplexed stare. “Cat got your tongue or something, Connor?” he asked in a snooty tone while snorting and shaking his head lightly from side-to-side, “we only have half an hour in here before Fowler comes back, and I don’t have the energy for his bullshit, so we better step the hell up!”

Turning away from Nines, Lieutenant Anderson marched over towards the entry door towards the waiting room before the coroner’s office, and he held open the door for Nines. Ducking inside the waiting room, Lieutenant Anderson sighed as he held up some I.D., and a guard posted by the door nodded curtly at him. “Good to see you again, Hank.”

“Yep,” the older male grumbled, and Nines smirked when he learned the Lieutenant’s full name.

He tagged along once Hank pointed at him and grumbled, “We’ll be out soon; Connor’s not very yappy today, isn’t that lovely?”

“Thought the day would never come,” the guard joked, and Nines made sure he stuck closely behind Hank as they descended the steps leading down into the dark halls that seemed to stretch on and on forever until they finally reached a half-open door with the sign ‘Coroner’s Office and Lab’ written on it.

Perfect.

It’d still been too quiet, and as he tried keeping his head down, Hank scratched his beard as he studied Nines with squinty eyes. “What’s with the hat, Connor?” he asked as they stopped before the door, and he knocked once loudly.

Aiming to play it cool, Nines merely whispered, “I think it looks good on me, wouldn’t you say, Hank?”

The other male snorted, “Jesus,” he shook his head when the door squeaked open, and he was momentarily distracted as a short, bald man with a white lab coat, white gloves, black shoes, black, thick-rimmed glasses, and a round belly was before them. Hank stared at him, bowing his head as he said, “Thanks for seeing us today, Arthur,” he then turned back to Nines and sighed in exhaustion. “You sure you’re okay, Connor?” he inquired shortly, “you even sound funny today…”

Well, that was to be expected. Nines had no idea what the hell this ‘Connor’ sounded like, and all he could do was shrug nonchalantly as he breathed, “I’m fine, Hank; we have work to do, anyway.”

The coroner agreed, and he pried open his door as he led them back down through the large room and into a small freezer where plenty of bodies held in body bags were resting on long rows of shelves lined up along the walls. “We have to hurry, Hank,” he stated as he rubbed his forehead, which had started to sweat.

Hank took the lead, holding his head up high as the coroner wheeled out a body with the tag on it that read: ‘ _Zlatko Imposter’._

Ahh…Nines could hardly wait to see who this imposter was.

The coroner held his gloved hands up as he turned on an overhead light once the body had been wheeled before an examination table outside across the hall from the freezer. Hank crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head once the coroner handed him a facial mask. Hank fit it over his mouth and behind his ears while he looked over at ‘Connor’.

“Alright,” he said in a muffled voice, “let’s do this.”

Nodding, the coroner put on his own mask, and hen then unzipped the body bag as the lights beamed down over the corpse. Hank recoiled from it, but it was likely more from the sight of it than the stench.

Fanning himself, Hank growled, “Jesus, it looks like he’s even uglier now than before!”

“Lieutenant,” the man named ‘Arthur’ hissed, “if you’ll look over here at his fingers and neck, you will be able to see that this man has had plenty of surgical alterations done to himself in order to appear as though he is Zlatko!” To prove it to them, Arthur took a Q-tip, and he rubbed it around a solution that resembled hand cream. He then dabbed it over the jawline, neckline, and fingers of the corpse, and within minutes, the skin turned light yellow.

“What’s that!?!” Hank cried out in fear, while Nines glowered down at the body. His eyes were sweeping around for a closer inspection, but it was difficult to do when Arthur got in his way.

He pointed as the highlighted areas. “Newest technology here which reveals bits of tampered DNA, Lieutenant,” he carefully and patiently explained as Hank bent down over the corpse, and he accidentally bumped his hip against the examination table. The corpse jiggled a little, and when Hank leapt back in fright, the arm of the corpse flung down over the side of the examination table.

Nines would’ve rolled his eyes at the pathetic, cowardly behavior Hank displayed, but his eyes suddenly caught an interesting scar above the wrist on the arm flopping before him. Bending his neck down, he nearly gasped in shock. He knew this scar…and this man! This man indeed was not Zlatko, and importantly, as Nines discovered while scanning him quickly, he had no record at all...just a scar.

The scar was a half-crescent shape, and it had been done manually by the individual themselves. It was a symbol, however, and it suddenly all made sense to Nines. He still had no idea who the ‘Shadow Client’ was, but he knew where to specifically look as for questioning these so called ‘doubles’. He had the right agency in mind, and he nearly sneered as he glared away at the scar.

Arthur suddenly leaned over the table, and he grabbed the limb and shyly tucked it back within the bag. “I’m sorry, Connor,” he apologized briefly, but Nines huffed as he stood to his full height.

“I can still see the sutures in this bastard’s skin,” Hank announced, nodding over at the scars around the neck of the body, and he sighed in anger while looking up at Nines. “You were right, Connor,” he grinned, “I’ll never know where you get your crazy ideas from, but I guess donuts are on me next time, huh?”

Whatever the hell Hank Anderson was talking about really was boring him to death, but Nines smiled and flashed Hank a thumbs-up. “You bet!”

Arthur began pushing them away when he stared at his watch. “It’s time for you both to leave!” he cried out, throwing open the door to his office and practically shoving them in their backs while Hank took off his hospital mask and flung it into the garbage can.

“Out, out!!”

“Heard ya the first time, Arthur!”

The door slammed behind them, and Nines felt rage mounting as he thought of how to extricate himself out of this situation, first.

He needed a new distraction, and he needed it fast; Hank was already staring suspiciously at him as they lingered in the halls. Slowly, Hank stuffed his left hand in his jean pocket, and he shifted about as he tried making eye contact with Nines beneath the baseball cap. “Where were you all morning, again?” he asked while stroking his beard, “kinda getting old and I guess I forgot!”

Nines patiently smiled, “I was out in the parking lot, Hank!”

The older male nodded slowly, his eyes twinkling carefully. “Uh huh,” he began, “that is right, but why were you there again?”

He was stuck. He didn’t have enough time to ask what the hell Connor had been doing out in the parking lot, or what the briefcase and folders contained. It was now time for a huge distraction, and Nines began thinking chopped, hurried thoughts. He eyed a small security alarm button just lingering behind Hank on the wall, and thankfully, there weren’t any security cameras. He had to use that button, as he was certain plenty of guards and officers would come out and try to address the concern.

Pacing around Hank, he kept his head and eyes down as he slowly came up with his ‘excuse’. Wetting his lips with his tongue, he grinned a toothy grin. “I was obtaining the documents you asked for, Hank, and I collected them from your car just like you asked…”

Hank watched him carefully, though he didn’t move much as Nines wheeled around him in a half-circle, fingers slowly twitched as he raised a hand up under the pretense that he wanted to scratch his nose. Hank suddenly rounded on him when his back had been turned to him for too long, and Nines was met with a curious Lieutenant. The man quirked his brows up and snorted as he held his hands on his hips and shook his head at ‘Connor’.

“What kind of a car do I drive, Connor?”

There it was; doubt.

Nines knew it was too late to push the security button; Hank already knew he wasn’t ‘Connor’. He had to hand it to this old, clever man; his disguise had been blown a lot faster than he thought.

Smiling widely, Nines merely toyed with the back of the baseball cap, and Hank crossed his arms over his chest as he stood broadly before Nines like a major wall between him and his freedom out of the precinct.

“You know,” Hank grumbled out as Nines slowly looked up along his legs, and then waistline, eyes taking bits of him in slowly, “I was wondering why your voice sounded deeper, and it’s funny because you tried changing it the moment I pointed that out…”

Nines’ eyes made their way up Hank’s stomach, chest, chin, and then into his eyes directly.

Hank smirked as he leaned into Nines and pointed a finger into his sternum roughly. His teeth shined brightly as his eyes twinkled dangerously. “You’re _not_ Connor.”

At that moment, Nines carefully took off his baseball cap, and he smiled as he closed his eyes, and his eyes slowly turned blue once again. He felt the change within himself, and when he opened his eyes, Hank gasped in fear.

“I knew it!” he cried out as he took a small step back, “where’s Connor?!”

Before the older man could approach him again, Nines whipped the baseball cap into his eyes. Hank’s arms flew up towards his face so he could shield himself, but the fraction of a second had provided Nines was a good opportunity. He wrapped his arms around Hank’s neck, and he spun them around and rammed his back against Hank’s as he held him in a tight choke-hold. To defend himself, Hank tried clawing at the arms around his neck, but he was sputtering and coughing desperately for air while Nines tightened his grip around him. Once or twice, Hank tried ramming Nines into the walls, but the android had planted his legs firmly onto the floor, and he stood with his back like a brick wall against Hank’s as he choked the life out of him.

He felt Hank’s hands pause in their struggling, but before Nines could snap his hyoid bone, Hank lifted a leg, and he kicked back with all the power he could muster. The kick slammed into the back of Nines’ knee, and it caved in from the force. Nines hissed when he released Hank’s neck, but Hank was just as fast as he had been. He wrapped his hands around Nines’ waist, and he hoisted him high into the air over his back and shoulders. He was attempting to body-slam him into the floor, but Nines kicked into the air with a long leg and his knee collided with Hank’s nose. Blood immediately gushed out, and Hank cried out in pain as he dropped Nines. The android landed gracefully to his feet, but he saw Hank reaching for his gun in his back pocket.

Diving forward, Nines leapt up on a chair leaning against the long walls, and he burst through the large, rectangular window in the basement of the DPD. It shattered into many pieces, and he rolled into the grass, standing up as he shook the shards of glass off himself and made a clean break for it towards his car.

Behind himself, he heard Hank screaming for help, and he distinctly picked up on two key words.

‘Damn Imposter’.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Gavin practically cried out in joy once he summoned enough energy to hold the knife between his pink and tightly bound fingers. The more he struggled, the tighter his binds grew, but he didn’t give up. He held onto the knife with every bit of power he had left in his hands, and he steadily turned the blade and held it over the rope around his wrists. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, he sliced and sliced and cut away at the binding as best as he could.

A few times, the knife nearly slipped and fell out of his grasp, but Gavin would hold onto his hope, and he struggled like a madman as he cut away while the parking lot grew dark. He had no idea just how long it’d been since Agent Nines left him there. A day could’ve passed, for all he knew. He was growing weaker as the medication lingered in his system, and he realized he hadn’t had a proper meal in over two full days, now.

Great.

It was hardly any wonder why he couldn’t steady his vision, and he nearly cut into his own skin when he tilted the knife in the wrong way.

“Damn it!” Gavin cried out when the knife fell between his fingers, but he paused and calmed down, making sure he was breathing and not having another panic attack. It he wandered into that territory, he would be screwed. He had control; his therapist was right. This was _his_ life, _he was_ in control!

 _I got this, I got this_ , he repeated to himself, sweating and breathing profusely as he cut away slowly at the knot. Slow and steady won the race, after all, and he knew he was going to be free, soon. The rope was giving way, and Gavin internally cheered as he spread his hands apart, and the rope slowly began tearing apart.

_Yes!! Just a bit more!! Come on!!! Please!!!_

Applying a little more pressure, he grit his teeth as he concentrated on this task more than he’d ever concentrated on anything else in his entire life before. He saw the rope coming off in his imagination, and he wanted it to very much be a reality right now. That was a good motivating factor for him, and he squeezed his hands apart as his fingers splayed down over his wrists awkwardly. Again, he was repeating the cutting and slicing motions, and he never stopped prying his hands apart. His shoulders and chest ached from the force and pressure, but he couldn’t stop now!

_Just a little…more…and…NOW!_

Gavin dropped the knife when he had enough room to move his wrists, and he practically burst out of his bindings. He shoved the raincoat off his back, breathed in through his nose, and he just took a few seconds to wriggle and move his wrists now that they were free.

He couldn’t believe he was finally free, and he massaged each wrist for a few seconds before he worried that there wasn’t going to be much time left. He had to get out, NOW.

Reaching up to his lips, Gavin carefully tore off the duct tape, and then spat out the cloth. His tongue was so dry, as were the insides of his mouth, and he dry-heaved and coughed as he took in fresh mouthfuls of air and let his tongue wallow in his mouth. Thankfully, he was salivating soon, and he felt a small sense of normalcy and control returning back to him. This was how it needed to be, and he vowed to make things better as soon as he got out of there.

Reaching up for the lock on the inside of the door, Gavin hurried undid it, and he pushed the door open. He was a lot heavier and weaker than he imagined, and before he could get to his feet properly, the door swung open, and his weight came crashing and bearing down on himself too quickly. He was flying down to the pavement, and he winced as he braced himself for the hard impact.

It never came…

Instead, he felt warm limbs around his own, and he was being held up?? Supported?

He reached forward, and yes, he felt something strong and sturdy definitely holding him up.

When Gavin opened his eyes, he was hoping he’d see a new face. He had been hanging onto the wonderful hope that someone would come to rescue him, and he was waiting to just show his gratitude and appreciation.

Words died on his lips and the statements were gone before he could compose them.

Gavin felt frozen as he stared right into the angry, dangerous face of Agent Nines. He was beyond livid, and his eyes flashed and beamed with the promise of death and destruction as he held onto Gavin and pushed him back inside the car while scowling at him with a murderous expression on his face the entire time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too slow, Gavin! 😓😥  
> I liked the mini battle between Nines and Hank!!


	6. Ambiguous Morality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING! Foul language up ahead!*

Gavin was violently flung across an old, abandoned library-or so Agent Nines claimed it was one, anyway. There were plenty of old hard cover books still resting on termite infested and rotten shelves, and mountains upon mountains of dust soon began suffocating his lungs as he fell down to the hardwood floors and began coughing strongly.

He couldn’t control it; his coughs grew worse, and it didn’t help matters when Agent Nines grabbed him again, and this time threw him into a book nook close to the half-broken window against a large wall bearing a mural high above. Its paint and radiant colors were mostly all washed away and gone due to the elements of nature and such, but it was nevertheless haunting, as it bore the image of a family with their dog android seated by a fireplace while reading a good book. Their faces were mainly wiped out, and only the whites of their eyes were just barely visible from above. Gavin shivered in fright as he lay on his back and stared up at them for a second. Agent Nines was soon looming over him in a sinister, dark manner, and he cowered in fear. Yes, there were worse things to fear, so it seemed.

Agent Nines wasn’t done with him, yet. He grabbed Gavin by his sweater collar, and he threw him as hard as he could into a bookshelf. It was so old and decrepit that it broke down immediately, and thankfully, Gavin didn’t feel much pain as he felt his ass sliding between the moldy, rotten wood. He wasn’t able to enjoy the relief for long, however; Agent Nines was livid, and he wasn’t letting him go anytime soon. His hands and fingers acted like claws; wrapping around Gavin’s clothes in a split second as he was yanked up to his feet roughly.

“Stop!” Gavin cried out, trying to shield the blows, but Nines slapped his hands out of the way as he once again picked him up.

Fearful of being thrown across the old, dusty library repeatedly, Gavin waited for the strikes to come, but they never did. He slowly opened his eyes, chancing a small peek up at Agent Nines. He found the violent android glaring down at him with bloodshed written in his eyes, but he didn’t raise a hand or finger to strike, eerily.

Why had he stopped??

They just stared away into each other’s eyes for such a long time that Gavin felt truly petrified and frozen to the spot. When he moved his feet, however, he breathed in a short sigh of relief, noticing he wasn’t rooted to the spot.

Nines cocked his head at him as he growled in a low tone, “You were going to run away…” When Gavin choked as he tried fighting back, Nines growled in a warning. “Do you have a death wish, boy? Or are you always this heroically stupid??”

Immediately, Gavin tossed him a vicious sneer as his face turned red. “You fuckin’ drugged me!” he cried out, trying to kick Agent Nines, but the android moved back while still gripping tightly on his collar. Gavin roared as he felt so powerless. “You drugged me, you crazy asshole!!!”

“I didn’t!” Agent Nines hissed back, and Gavin groaned as he tried yanking those talon-like fingers away from his collar.

“I require _one_ pill a day, assface,” Gavin spat at him while squirming in his grip, “you gave me two!!”

Frowning, Nines looked down at the ground, and then stepped away from Gavin. He’d almost let the young man go, when his grip tightened yet again, and rage bubbled beneath his eyes. He glared angrily at Gavin, as if the young man had accused him of murdering innocent orphans, or something equally as dark. “I didn’t give you two pills,” he hissed, and then he gasped, LED light yellow as the memories flooded back.

Gavin felt irritation seep into him, and he kicked violently. “You did!! You fuckin’ jerk!” he screeched noisily, “you gave me two!!”

“I certainly didn’t do it on purpose!”

Gavin felt he wanted to believe the android hitman, and he hated himself for it. There was just no way that was possible, no way! This android killed everything and everyone for _pleasure_ and money! The possibilities for why he was still alive weren’t too good if Gavin really thought about it. Perhaps Agent Nines had more sinister plans involving him!! That terrified Gavin beyond belief, and it made him want to escape even more, but he still had to wonder why Agent Nines wasn’t harming him…technically, he could’ve done it now, and ended his life many times over!

When they’d entered this abandoned place, Gavin felt death oncoming. It hung in the air right above his head like a black ‘x’ or a curse, but then, Agent Nines hadn’t done much except yell at him, toss him around things that didn’t really even hurt his body that badly, and he was just ‘over-menacing’, as opposed to truly terrifying…in fact, he hadn’t even drawn his weapon or pointed it at him…

Shaking his head, Gavin tried ignoring his hopeful thoughts. Agent Nines was a killer, and that was just the truth of the matter. He wasn’t a ‘softie’ or a friend, and he was never going to be. The youth felt he wasn’t thinking properly due to still not having had a proper meal in a long time, and it was affecting him horribly and so badly that it was changing his mindset and views.

Crazy.

He didn’t have much more time to cry out in terror, however; Agent Nines merely set him down on the rotten ground, which had more grass and soil poking out of the floorboards of the old library than anything else. Gavin caught his breath for a moment, and he admitted to himself that in spite of everything, this place was rather soothing and calm. He always enjoyed being around nature more so than people, and this place was the best spot for taking photos, making a homemade video of his adventure for his parents…if only there wasn’t a murderous android with him in the picture, however.

Smiling to himself as he thought about how he’d go about introducing Agent Nines to his parents, Gavin found himself in a bit of a better mood, but it didn’t last too long when Agent Nines fell down to his knees as he rested his back against a small bookcase close to where Gavin himself was.

Running a gloved hand through his hair, Agent Nines muttered, “I didn’t mean to give you two pills, I really didn’t…”

Shrugging, Gavin smirked as he tried making a joke out of the situation, which was often something he resorted to whenever he was terribly nervous. “It’s okay,” he laughed, “it would’ve been interesting and quite a unique way to get rid of me, I suppose!”

Agent Nines threw him a nasty scowl that made him cringe as he pressed himself against a bare wall, but he recovered from it when Agent Nines again whispered, “I don’t drug people; it’s not my main tactic for disposal.”

Snorting, Gavin got in a more ‘comfortable’ position, which mainly consisted of sitting down cross-legged as more dirt got onto his torn jeans, and his sweater rubbed against the moldy, moss-covered wall behind him. “Disposal?” he lightly trembled, “nice to hear what you actually think of your victims, I guess.”

Again, Agent Nines was scowling at him, and Gavin continued. “What? You’re the one who said it; not me!” he snapped, “it’s not exactly comforting to know you’re nothing but a meat-sack for your killer and all that!”

“Then why are you still alive?” Nines snapped at him, having had enough of the little games the adolescent was throwing at him. His anger was just bubbling on the edge, and this Gavin Reed was working him into quite the frenzy. He remembered he had indeed accidentally given the boy two pills instead of one, but that had only been due to the amount of struggling Gavin was doing in the car earlier, and not to mention, the fact that Nines had to get rid of the shop keeper as well. He didn’t enjoy killing non-targets, but he knew he was going to have to do it more than ever, now. Ever since he met this Gavin Reed, things had changed, and he was going about his job rather carelessly, even.

Realizing it’d been silent between them, Nines raised an eyebrow, expectant of Gavin’s answer to his previous question, but the youth merely collected his knees and drew them into himself, resting them against his chest as he placed a cheek on his kneecaps. Nines then stared at his unbound hands, and he had to wonder why Gavin wasn’t making another break for it…more importantly, why hadn’t Nines tied him up again???

Wanting to change the topic before things took a dark, troubling turn, Nines stared at the young man before him carefully. He appeared very disheveled, and as Nines finally got to take a good moment or two to study his hair in the sunlight that was streaming in through the large windows about the old library, he saw that Gavin had trimmed and shortened his hair more so around the sides and temples of his head, while the top part had been longer and styled to stand out more. Perhaps he was growing his hair out of an old ‘uppercut’ style…

It amused the android, but he chose not to comment on the style as he leaned back and studied the scar on Gavin’s nose. Perhaps there was a back story to the scar and how Gavin had obtained it…did it have to do much with his depression?? The question itself disappeared, but Nines stored it in the back of his mind for later. For the time being, he simply wanted to study Gavin’s appearance more, but he was drawn back to those pills.

This time, he stared on seriously at the adolescent, and he cleared his throat. “Why are you depressed?”

The way the question had been asked seemed to demand a response, and Gavin picked up on that social cue as he lifted his head off his kneecaps and stared straight ahead at Nines. He licked his lips and swallowed, a symbol that he was getting prepared to answer. He opened his mouth and inhaled, and then he looked down at the ground. “Well, many reasons, I guess…”

Nines knew right then what Gavin was doing. He was merely trying to avoid answering the question directly, but it was due to the fact that it truly made him uncomfortable. Normally, Nines would’ve let it go, but this wasn’t someone he didn’t care about; he genuinely was curious about Gavin Reed, and he felt that if he understood him a little better, they would maybe run into less of a mess and trouble. Whatever helped him survive as he pieced together what was going on with Zlatko, the better. Gavin was merely a prop and a pawn in all this, but Nines wasn’t necessarily above using him…he just needed and wanted to learn more about him in order to proceed in the best way.

Placing a hand on his right thigh as he stretched it out over the floor, Nines smiled as gently as he could, aiming to be friendly and supportive. He was cleverly masking his true intentions, but he was skilled in this until he got what it was he wanted. “Name me a few of these reasons, Gavin.”

At the sound of his name, the youth sat up a little, and he leaned back as he propped his hands down on the floor for support while he stared down at his own lap. “Well, I’m lazy, for one,” he counted slowly, “I’m unemployed, I’m still technically single,” this one pained him a lot, and he showed his disdain for his lack of a sexual and romantic partner by frowning and then blushing in anger, “I’m not that sociable either, and everything just sucks around me!!”

So, those were his reasons??

Nines resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wanted to lash out, tell the boy he was indeed an idiot, and that if their roles were reversed, he’d be so much more grateful for the life he currently lived, and all the opportunities he had. However, that would’ve been an unwise move on his part, and would only result in Gavin closing off to him. He had to rethink his tactic, and as Nines studied the adolescent’s face, an idea slowly came to him.

Wiping his hands on his less-than-black dress pants, now, he pointed at Gavin. “I want you to do something for me,” he stated softly, and Gavin stared at him in confusion. Nines sat up until he himself was cross-legged, and he pointed at his face. He then rubbed his palms over his own cheeks, and he massaged his face in small circles. “Massage your face, just as I am doing right now.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”

“Come on; massage your face,” Nines repeated, his hands moving in that similar fashion while Gavin studied his patterns and motions.

He leaned back as he shook his head. “I don’t see how that will do anything—”

“Massage your fucking face!” Nines snapped, lowering his hands momentarily, and he waited until Gavin huffed out a breath of air, and then he rolled his eyes as he placed his hands on his cheeks and slowly massaged his face. Nines then followed suit, and he nodded at Gavin.

They massaged their cheeks, and then Nines said, “Now, I want you to repeat this after me: I’m lazy…”

Gavin frowned, but repeated it, “I’m lazy…”

“I’m sad…”

“I’m sad…”

Nines nodded as he watched Gavin’s fingers dig into his cheeks, “I’m unemployed…”

“I’m unemployed…”

As they massaged their cheeks and spoke simultaneously, their words were slightly muffled and distorted, but Nines carried on.

“I’m a loser,” he breathed out, and Gavin paused for half a second before frowning in anger.

Still, he repeated the words. “I’m a loser…” his voice died down at the end, and his fingers and hands slowed down as he waited for Nines to continue.

“I’m a loser that no one will ever love, and I’ll always be an empty, pathetic loser…”

Dropping his hands away from his cheeks, Gavin scowled in rage and irritation. “You’re fuckin’ the loser, you embittered, greedy, cold robotic cunt!!”

It was Nines’ turn to drop his hands away from his face. His eyes were slightly wide, and he was taken aback by the outburst. Gavin continuously scowled at him, but he was blushing furiously as his shoulders tightened.

Nines merely smiled. “What did you call me??” he couldn’t keep the smirk off his face, and he chuckled lightly while he waited for Gavin’s response.

“You heard!” Gavin snapped sharply, his chest and chin jutting forward in defiance, and Nines shook his head.

“Put your hands back on your cheeks and tell me what you called me,” he encouraged, “go on!”

Gavin growled, but placed his hands on his cheeks, and he massaged in those same circles once again. “You’re an old, greedy, cold, lonely, embittered, selfish robotic cunt—hahaha!!!” he couldn’t help it; he broke out into a hearty laugh that was so terribly contagious, that Nines found himself laughing as well.

As their laughter bounced off the walls and ceiling, Nines repeated what Gavin had ‘insulted’ him with. “Did you really just call me an old, lonely robotic cunt??”

Repeating it made Gavin roll in laughter, and he fell onto his back as he giggled and lost himself in his rounds of laughter that seemed to have no end. This, in turn, made Nines laugh even harder, and he placed a hand on his stomach to steady himself before he too fell onto the floor. He didn’t ever remember laughing at all in his entire creation this way, and it was just so…so refreshing!! He’d never experienced something like this, and as new as it was to him, it felt so breathtaking and serene. He had no idea how to describe it, but he knew he didn’t want to end, especially when Gavin looked so wonderful when he laughed.

There were small wrinkles and creases in the corners of his eyes as he laughed and laughed and laughed his heart out. He even looked a little younger, and he didn’t seem to care about the mess or dust about as he covered himself in it while tears poured from the corners of his eyes. When he could laugh no more, he sat up, and he shook the leaves, grass, dirt, and dust off his hair and body as best as he could while snickering to himself.

Nines held up a hand as he sighed. “Now, how can someone who laughs like that truly be depressed, hmm?”

Gavin’s smile died down a little, but he shrugged. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, thinking for a moment before shrugging again, “it’s not like anyone in my family had a mental health issue either…but I remember I was a teenager, and horribly depressed all the time. That was when my parents took me to a therapist, and since then, I’ve changed medication about three times.”

Nines hummed deeply. “Perhaps your brain chemistry needed it…” he truthfully had no idea about this young man’s psychological foundations and what he truly ‘needed’, but a part of him felt troubled that such a young thing had been riddled with medication for so long.

Gavin waved him off. “I’ve never thought of psychiatry being an exact science,” he announced his opinion boldly, “but anytime I got used to a new medication, that’s when I noticed my doctor would take me off it, and prescribed new ones!”

“Yes,” Nines began in a velvety tone, “psychopharmacology is a lucrative business, so it seems.”

Gavin pointed in the air, “Yeah, there’s always money to be made somewhere, right?”

Nines froze for half a second, and then his head suddenly hurt.

That sentence had triggered something within him…

_Money to be made…_

He trembled as his eyes snapped shut, and as the same crescent tattoo flashed before his closed eyes, Gavin scooted closer to him.

“Agent Nines?” he cried out in concern, “Agent Nines? Are you okay?”

As the images flashed on the pale skin of many corpses, Nines saw himself standing before a large heap of dead bodies, each of them bearing the same scar…

He opened his eyes, and he sat back as he cleared his throat and recovered from his little episode. Gavin was staring intently at him, and he was awfully close…

Sitting up, Nines smiled at him. “I’m fine,” he then looked at the wall behind Gavin, not yet ready to meet his eyes, but he still felt comfortable enough to clearly say, “please just call me ‘Nines’…”

Whatever the heck had possessed him to be so open and friendly with the youth was truly an enigma wrapped in a mystery. Nines scolded himself mentally numerous times, but the words had already been spoken, and the look of sheer surprise was upon Gavin’s youthful face instantly.

He leaned back on his knees as he smiled, “You want me to seriously call you ‘Nines’?”

Frowning at him, Nines sneered, “It’s a mouthful to hear ‘Agent Nines’ out of you every time.”

Giggling, Gavin nodded, “Uh huh, sure, whatever you say, Nines…” he sat back, smirking and grinning to himself, as if he was in on a very secretive joke on his own. Nines didn’t like that too much, but he allowed it as he racked his thoughts and centered them all around getting back to the people responsible for creating those scars and marks to begin with. There was a deep history to the moon-shaped marks that Nines knew all too well about, and as much as he loathed to travel back there and revisit a part of his history that was far too painful, he knew it was the only way they would be able to live to tomorrow.

Sometimes, the past scars served as a good reminder for why he was still alive and still going…

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Hank practically kicked the door to the DPD parking lot open, and he tore down through the rows of parked cars in a fury unlike any he’d ever faced in his many years serving as a Lieutenant. He was livid; he was made for murder, now. His mind and eyes were on fire, and he couldn’t even see straight as he moved quickly, scanning and searching the half-empty parking lot for any kind of a clue. The blood off his nose had dried, and though it ached, he felt he didn’t give half a shit, as revenge was the only thing on his mind currently.

Ever since that Connor imposter had knocked him out, he felt vengeance burning hotly in his veins, and he was going to stop at nothing until he had that android’s head on a silver plate. For all he knew, that was likely the son of a bitch who’d taken out the Zlatko body-double, and that android possibly held all the answers he needed right now.

Hank screamed from the top of his lungs as he spun around in circles, having passed the same spot at least ten times over before he felt breathless.

Damn old age!!

Not wanting to let that be an obstacle in his way, Hank took a moment just to collect himself. He couldn’t think straight when he was this pissed, and he rested his hands on his kneecaps as he bent over and breathed in slowly and carefully. He closed his eyes, thinking about the face of that damn imposter…

He sure as fuck looked like Connor, and he’d even changed his eye color to do so! What if he knew Connor personally???

Hank didn’t know what to make of that theory, but as he tossed it around in his mind, he heard the pitter-patter of feet approaching him from behind. Opening his eyes, he turned his head over his shoulder to take a peek, and he saw a half-nude android running towards him at full speed.

“Hank!!” Connor sighed out in relief, “thank goodness you’re here! I was attac—”

“ARGGGGH!!” Hank let out a loud, ferocious war cry, and then his large hands were around the android’s upper body. Heaving with all his might, he grabbed the android, and he wrestled him down onto his back violently. Getting on top of him, Hank punched him in the face a few times, and then he grabbed his chin in a hand as he screamed out before him, “WHERE’S CONNOR, YOU SACK OF SHIT!!! TAKE ME TO HIM, NOW!!!” he unleashed the fury of his fists upon the android’s chest and face, beating him until his own knuckles were raw and red. Still, he didn’t want to stop; he couldn’t, he wouldn’t.

Again and again, Hank brought his clenched fists down over the android’s face. He wanted to rip its mask off, and even though the eyes staring widely into his own were brown, he was no fool to that trick a second time around. He shook the android as roughly as he could by the shoulders.

“ANSWER ME! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!! WHERE’S CONNOR?!?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO CONNOR?!?!?”

“HAAAAAAAAAANK!!!!!!! STOOOOP!!!”

They were being extremely loud, but Hank didn’t care. He wasn’t going to stop, not even when a few officers stood around them in a circle, whispering as they looked around fearfully, not sure of whether to intervene and stop them, or not.

Hank kept going, however, not giving a shit as to who watched. He was going to reveal this bastard imposter for who or what he was, and the more people who saw it, the better. Hell, if this shit ended up on the 6 o’clock news, so be it.

Tugging the android’s hair strongly between his fingers, Hank growled at the back of his throat as he yanked the android to his feet. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO CONNOR, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!!”

Those brown depths seemed so pained, but Hank thought it was all a part of the show. It enraged him further, but before he could do anything about it, the android shoved him away hard, and he was sent stumbling backwards, nearly landing right on his ass in front of everyone.

Clenching his fists tightly, the android screamed out, “IT’S ME!!! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, HANK!?!?”

Freezing for a moment, Hank noticed that the voice of this ‘Connor’ seemed like Connor’s pitch and tone…but this had to be a trick, still! He didn’t trust the android at all, and he squinted up at him.

“How do I know you’re really Connor?”

The android rolled his eyes, “I was attacked from behind, Hank, and that’s why all my clothes are gone!! It’s just me, please!!”

Hank stubbornly shook his head. “Not buying it, pal,” he pointed at the android as he swayed on his feet, “you prove to me right now that you’re Connor, else I’m going to—”

“Fine,” the android hissed, “what do you want to know?”

“Tell me something only you—err, the real Connor would know!!”

Rolling his eyes, the android crossed his bulky arms over his bare chest. “Okay,” he cleared his throat, “you still wear ‘Fruit of the Loom’ boxers, you get me to do your laundry all the time, you talk in your sleep, and you never want to be the small spoon whenever we cuddle!”

While the other officers standing by laughed, Hank blanched, and he growled out, “Shut up!” He stood to his feet, dusting and brushing himself off. “I don’t need you to convince me anymore, Connor,” he spat with vitriol, “but you should’ve seen this guy! He was the exact spitting image of you, except he had a deeper voice, and didn’t seem to be as goofy as you!”

Connor frowned, “I’m not goofy!!”

Ignoring his outburst, Hank pushed bits of loose hair back. “Did you get a good look at him before he attacked you?”

“No,” Connor sighed, holding his arms down to his sides as he stood in his black underwear before everyone, “as I said, he just attacked me from behind, and he hit me so hard over my optical units, that I blacked out for a good, long time.”

“Fucker knows what he’s doing,” Hank commented, placing his hands on his hips as he spat out to himself, “god damn him…”

Connor bit down on his lower lip, LED light red as he nervously fidgeted and looked about the parking lot. “What should we do?”

Hank threw his hands in the air. The question was such a loaded one that it pissed him off even hearing it. He looked down at Connor, then, and he scowled as he took a step away from him as he finally caught his breath. “You get some damn clothes on first and foremost, Connor,” he spat angrily as he fixed his long hair, “then we’re gonna sit down, because I think this asshole imposter had a lot to do with the Zlatko double murder…”

Connor grinned triumphantly, “So you’re finally admitting that my theory stands out?”

Hank growled as he turned his back to Connor, already heading towards his car. “Shut up, Connor,” he cried out while the crowd around them began to disperse now that all the ‘action’ had died down, “just get some fucking clothes on, or so help me, I’m leaving you here to hitch-hike naked back to my place!!”

“Alright, alright!” Connor hissed, “grumpy!!!”

Hank reached his car door, unlocked it, and growled out to himself so only he could hear his own words, “You have no fuckin’ idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay that parking lot scene between Hank and Connor?  
> Made me spit out my tea in laughter XD
> 
> And I like that Nines was almost offering Gavin a new form of 'therapy' (laughter therapy)!


	7. Guardian of Death

**_In the beginning, they’d taken orphaned children in, training them and experimenting on them until they’d found what they were looking for. However, as the children aged into adulthood, there were…complications…they were suddenly deemed ‘obsolete’ after years of dedicated, devoted service to one single cause._ **

**_Android replacements were in due course, and soon, every single adult that had been taken in since childhood had been permanently ‘erased’. They were all ghosts already, but now, they didn’t even have that as an identity as one-by-one, android units took their place._ **

**_The androids showed more promise, greater resilience, greater strength, stamina that was never-ending, and they couldn’t feel a damn thing…_ **

**_Perfect soldiers indeed, and they did all the evil biddings for decades before a change had taken place. Androids were killing humans, now, and that was all he could remember. He’d been taken in just as any android before, and after him had, and they’d programmed and trained him diligently to become the perfect slave, the perfect obedient solider who couldn’t think for himself._ **

**_However, there were those who started thinking for themselves, and soon, it started out much like a cold or a virus, before taking over the entire body. Androids didn’t want to kill humans mindlessly, and that was a big problem for everyone. Those who didn’t obey were soon punished, but they needed a specific ‘punishment’…_ **

**_Real crimes deserved real justice dispensed…_ **

**_Piles upon piles of human and android bodies were dumped over top of each other, and soon, there was no difference between red and blue. Blood was blood, and it hardly mattered when the life was snatched away. There was always that familiar glow in the center of the eyes he lived to see fading away, and he never had enough of it, no matter how many times he buried his blade within a body._ **

**_He strayed further and further away from those who carried the special ‘virus’, and soon, he was trusted enough to hunt those who had the virus…_ **

**_They always made it so easy for him, thankfully, and they were easy to track and target due to their marks. They’d been specially branded ever since they walked the wayward path they weren’t supposed to, but like an obedient sheepdog, he herded them back for a merciful slaughter whenever he was ordered to._ **

**_Running was all they had, but they had no idea who they were running from. He was a ‘Black Guardian of Death’, as they’d called him, and it was his job to make sure no one even lived to remember his face. It was all he lived for and relished in, and try as they might, they had nowhere to turn to, no one to trust, nowhere to hide._ **

**_After all, how could they hide when they had that symbol, that shape, that mark…_ **

**_Swords flashed, bullets cut and flew through the air, and darkness landed heavily before his eyes._ **

**_Still, as much as he loved it, he’d slipped._ **

**_The loyal black wolf of death had made a mistake, and he’d gotten greedy._ **

**_Screams floated high and slammed into his ears just as the warm, stickiness of the blood burst and pooled around him. As he stared ahead into the burning hot flames, he saw a thicket of death before him, and flesh was roasting and cooking. It gave off a distinct smell that was unmistakable, and he grinned when he knew he’d been the one to cause it._ **

**_As he reluctantly tried taking his leave while the fires of hell were stoked and soaring high above into the night air, he heard the loudest of screams unlike any he’d ever heard. He was cleaning his blade off, but the scream gave him great pause. He’d turned around completely, but nothing had prepared him for those youthful eyes that still hinged on bearing hope…what hope???_ **

**_The hope that somehow one of them survived?_ **

**_Foolishness…_ **

**_But there was that will to live; that hope, and that spirit he always had a difficult time slaughtering. The body shut off relatively easily, but the spirit? That was a challenge._ **

**_He loved the challenge…_ **

**_The screams echoed all around him, and he nearly fell back into the orange-yellow flames as they engulfed and ate away at everything that had once stood as a proud monument before he’d destroyed that, too._ **

**_As the youthful figure crashed down to the floor, they emitted a haunting wail that had lodged and buried itself into his ears and mind, and had never parted from him since…_ **

**_His eyes fell to their hands as they cradled their loved one dearly, sobbing out nonsense centering on bringing their cherished ones back to life. They wailed and cried that it was all too soon, that they never should have parted from their side, and they would soon join them…_ **

**_That was when his eyes fell onto the mark…that unholy, demonic mark…_ **

**_Dark eyes looked up into his and pierced through to the back of his head._ **

**_Suddenly, the flames surged and roared high above, and the smoke and ash were too heavy for him to see much else. As he shielded himself from the hungry flames, he felt the floors around him burning up, and soon, they gave way into a dark abyss down beneath him._ **

**_He was headed straight for hell, but he didn’t mind; still smiling, he let himself go, and his feet gave into the seductive pull of gravity as he fell far down below the earth while the fire raged on above him…_ **

“Nines?!?!? Nines?!?!”

Someone was shaking him roughly, and his survival instincts warned him that danger was lurking nearby. Reaching swiftly into his overcoat pocket, he fished out his gun, and he aimed it directly at whoever was shaking him. His eyes flew open, and he growled when he was faced with wide eyes in the darkness. Still unable to help himself, Nines leapt ahead, and his body collided with another.

His mind soon screamed at him that it had only been the young Gavin Reed trying to wake him, and as they crashed to the cold floor, Nines glared straight ahead into the youth’s wide blue eyes. His eyes were glassy and shiny in the dark, and with the small bit of light Nines’ red LED light provided, he saw how frightened the boy was.

Well…not that he blamed him at all for it; he was pointing a highly deadly weapon right into Gavin’s temple while glaring a foreboding glare at him. It made the younger male shrink away in fear, and when Nines heard him whimpering, the spell was broken. He asked himself what he’d been about to do, and shaking his head clear of the last bits of the broken and scattered memories, he lifted himself off Gavin and sat back down on the floor.

Hiding his weapon away carefully, he brushed a hand through his hair as he snarled at Gavin in a vitriolic manner. “You scared me.”

Trembling like a thin branch caught in a violent storm, Gavin stammered out, “Y-you were talkin’ and whi-whisperin’ in your s-s-sleep! I thought s-something w-was wrong!!”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Nines drawled out, “Nothing’s wrong, you moron.”

Collecting himself slowly off the floor, Gavin winced and rubbed his back. It seemed as though Nines had thrown them both rather roughly onto the floor, but the android merely glared at Gavin. This was all his fault, anyway.

“Don’t give me that look,” Nines hissed thinly at him, “don’t you know better than to rouse deadly creatures??” he then shook his head and tsked with his tongue, “I thought you were a faster learner than that…”

Gavin scowled at him, “Fuck off!” he growled irritably, “you were havin’ a bad dream!! I was just trying to h-help you!”

“I don’t dream,” Nines corrected swiftly, “I’m an android.”

Gavin straightened his clothes and looked away from him, as if fearful he would attack him again. When he had enough courage, he wet his lips with the tip of his tongue, and his nostrils flared out a little. “So what was going on with you, then?”

It was a fair question to ask, and he knew it would’ve come up between them at one point or another. The young man was after all going to be spending a lot of time around him, from now on, and Nines felt he had a right to ask such a question…as brazen as it was.

Once again, Nines found it so unlike himself to dive into volunteering information so freely and openly with this young male. Why was he doing it? What was so special about Gavin?? What specifically set him apart from all the others?

Nines knew that had it been anyone else, he would’ve likely buried a bullet or his swords into their flesh by now. Gavin had outlived them all, however, and it appeared as though he was going to repeat this cycle for some time. No matter how Nines looked at him, he just couldn’t find it in himself to kill the boy. He usually didn’t kill people outside of missions, but eyewitnesses and people who had previously been in his way, he’d disposed of easily. Gavin Reed fit the criteria for both these groups of people, and yet…he was still alive…

Closing his eyes and turning away from staring right at the young man seated across from him, Nines hissed when he heard Gavin’s stomach loudly growling. It was rather powerful and demanding, and when the young man tried acting as though it’d never happened, Nines sighed in exhaustion.

“You need to eat,” he announced and stated the obvious, causing Gavin to frown, and then nod slowly. He seemed so fragile, weak, pale, and sickly, now…

Feeling slightly to blame for all that, Nines got up to his feet, and he held out a hand for Gavin to latch onto and take. “Come on,” he whispered down at the youth, “we can’t linger about in here for too long anyway, and I have just the place that’ll get you fed, and give me some answers I’m looking for…”

He realized he’d placed more faith in that last portion of his statement than anything else, but Gavin’s eyes gleamed brightly in the dark, and he seemed to bear some trust in Nines. It was there like a flash in the darkness, and before Nines knew it, he felt warm pressure against his open hand. Peering down at it, he saw a much smaller hand in his own, and there was a strange, natural inclination to hold onto that hand for dear life…

The moment was a fleeting one, however, and as Gavin helped himself up to his feet, Nines stood away a little, and then removed his hand from beneath Gavin’s. Why did it feel as though he was burning intensely?

He stared down at his hand, but it wasn’t injured, and there were no marks…

“Nines?”

He glared up at Gavin. “I’m surprised you didn’t try to run away…” his eyes narrowed in an accusing manner at Gavin, then, “…again…”

Swallowing, the young man merely brushed it off with a shrug. “How the hell else am I ever gonna see my family again?” he got up on his knees and let his arms rest in his lap, “I don’t even know my way around here…”

Here…

Nines suddenly broke out of their conversation and sniffed the cold night air.

They couldn’t linger here; they had to move, now.

Standing up tall, he led the way for Gavin, his blue LED light guiding their steps as Nines prepared the address of their temporary ‘shelter’.

Gavin shivered as he wrapped his arms around himself and carefully stepped down a broken and dilapidated railing as they headed down from the second level of the old, abandoned library. “Where are we going, Nines?”

Nines knew the question was going to pop up one way or another, though he didn’t mind. Smiling widely in the dark as they headed for the large double-door exits of the creepy old building, he barely kept his voice above a whisper.

“We’re going to get some answers…”

“From who?”

Again, he smiled and grinned away like a Mad Hatter, unable to stop himself, truthfully.

Holding open one of the doors for Gavin, he whispered into the shorter male’s ear as he grazed past him. “From the people who are responsible for this mess; those who made me what I am today.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

The little coffee mug had been set before Hank almost forcefully, and the old, grumpy Lieutenant glared directly down into the steaming depths of the beverage Connor served him as the RK800 joined him at his small kitchen table. Connor sat directly across from him, and he smiled jovially as he leaned across the table slightly.

Hank raised an eyebrow, and then grabbed the handle of his mug tightly. His lips curled back as he sneered at Connor. “The hell are _you_ smiling for, Connor??”

The tone of his growl and question hadn’t changed Connor or affected his smile at all; in fact, his android work partner merely grinned with more enthusiasm. “Cheer up, Lieutenant!” he chirped out as he folded his arms over each other on the table, “and finish your coffee; it’ll warm you up in no time!”

Grumbling, Hank sipped it obediently. “I’m fine,” he spat when the hot liquid had flushed down his throat, “I’m just fuckin’ fine and peachy, Connor.”

This time, Connor did frown a little. “What’s wrong, Lieutenant?” he asked innocently, and it made Hank’s gut clench slightly.

Not wanting to lash out at his friend, Hank merely hid his contempt behind his coffee mug cleverly as his eyes turned dark. “Why don’t we first start by you telling me what the hell about this situation _isn’t_ wrong, Connor?” This method had often worked for them in the past; Hank would allow himself to stew and boil in his rage, while Connor would hopefully rack his brains and try to supply them both with something encouraging and helpful. Although Hank didn’t hold any high hopes of it happening this time around, out of respect and deep admiration for Connor, he sat back and forced himself to remain silent.

His large, loveable pet dog Sumo rested beneath the kitchen table close to his feet, ever the loyal friend he always had been since he was a small puppy. Every once in a while, as Connor collected his thoughts, Sumo would offer a small warning growl or yip up at the android, as if telling him to pick his words very carefully. Sumo knew his master well enough, and he was almost anticipating a violent, loud outburst-that is, if Connor didn’t watch what he said to Hank.

Evidently, the RK800 wasn’t ignorant of Hank’s explosive temper either, for that matter, and he always kept a small smile on his face while thinking. The kitchen appliances and clock made plenty of noises as they worked, and it seemed to spike up irritation already churning within Hank. The grouchy man waited for Connor to speak, but Connor could tell Hank was a ticking time bomb at this point.

He remembered to offer a sweet smile as he sat back. “Well, for one thing, Lieutenant,” he began softly, “we’re alive! We should be thankful for that, at least!”

Mumbling, Hank growled, “Yeah, I’m sorry that imposter didn’t kick your stupid LED light out sooner, Connor.”

Remembering to just smile on, Connor continued. “And another thing,” he pressed on eagerly and with some excitement, “we know for sure that what happened to the Zlatko double was organized and more than likely a hit!!”

Hank took another long sip of coffee before wiping his lips with the back of a hand. “Yeah, that’s true, Connor,” he gruffly responded, “but how do you know the imposter is behind it?”

This was a rather interesting question even for the RK800. Connor had to really think about this one, considering how he’d never even obtained information about the android that had hit him. “His mere presence in the DPD building is enough to go off of, Lieutenant,” he offered slowly and carefully, “otherwise, the android would never be caught there and run the risk of impersonating me.”

“So you’re saying its motivation was to find out about the Zlatko double, right?” Hank asked, eyes peering over at Connor over the top of his mug, the steam still steadily rising.

Connor nodded, “What other reason would it have?”

Hank’s response was a small shrug, “I don’t know,” he truthfully answered, “but I’d say it was a pretty ballsy move.”

“Desperate,” Connor corrected, “it was a desperate move, Lieutenant.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Hank snorted, staring intently at Connor suddenly. He was down to his last few sips, and he waited patiently until he’d finished his coffee until he scratched his head and gathered bits of his long hair back into a ponytail. “So, Connor,” he sighed out, “you sure you didn’t really get a good look at this android so you could scan him or do whatever the hell it is you freaks do when you’re learning about each other?”

Feeling slightly offended, Connor frowned briefly, but then replaced that frown and the look of displeasure with one of mild friendliness and politeness. “I was unable to process anything or interface with the android, Lieutenant,” he explained quickly, “interfacing is a mutual process that involves connecting, and I didn’t have that ‘permission’ from the imposter android to begin with.”

Hank rolled his eyes. “I thought that if you just simply touched each other it would help or some shit!”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“Figured…always a damn catch, huh?”

Cheerfully, Connor smiled and placed a hand on Hank’s arm. “Don’t worry, Lieutenant!” Although his voice remained friendly, jovial, and optimistic, Hank still grumbled a deep, mighty grumble.

“Oh, I’m _very_ worried, Connor,” he hissed, “too damn worried, in fact…”

“We’ll figure it out,” Connor stated with hints of encouragement, “we always do!!”

Hank nodded as he grabbed his mug and got off his chair. Tossing the dirty mug into his sink, he sighed and then bent to his knees to pet Sumo on the head. “Hope you’re right, Connor,” he whispered down at the large canine, “hope you’re seriously right about this one…”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Gavin had fallen asleep in the backseat of the vehicle, and was currently snoring and talking to himself as Nines approached the large, dark mansion up ahead. It was protected by a big brass gate that had once held a sign upon it, though as he peered ahead, he found that the sign had been removed.

But why?

This place held so many memories for Nines, and he had to restrain himself from leaping out of the car and climbing the gate in terror and agony. This place-this mansion-it once had been a home for wayward and lost youth, until androids had been built and introduced into society. And then…then it had changed completely.

Not wanting to remember and think about it all at once, Nines turned around and peeked over his shoulder at Gavin. The young man was stretched out over the backseat of the car, and he’d used his sweater as a small pillow of sorts and tucked it beneath his head. His eyelids fluttered as he turned a few times over to try and get into a more comfortable position, but it was tough to do so in a car, of course.

He knew he’d have to wake the young man up at some point, and Nines found himself reluctantly looking forward to that. He wished he could allow the youth to just remain asleep; he seemed so peaceful and at ease…

Turning back towards the large gate looming before them, Nines glared at it for many long minutes. He was working hard on repressing all the memories, when the gate groaned and slid open. It was like magic, but it slid back, opening up the path for the car to pass through.

Nines still scowled, but lifted his leg off the brake pedal and drove the car down the dirt, gravel path. The tires crunched along the gravel and twigs as the large, thick trees hid the vehicle between their long, heavy branches. The moon and stars were barely visible up above, but Nines didn’t need the moon to help guide his way; he was already familiar with this place.

The car had driven on for a minute before Nines had to stop and park it in the large parking lot that had once been kept wonderfully and neatly. It was now all overgrown with foliage and bushes, but Nines was able to stop perfectly as he turned off the engine and turned back to peer down at the sleeping Gavin.

The young man had turned his back to Nines once more, and he was curled in a small fetal position as he softly snored. His stomach still rumbled after a moment, and that had been the factor that encouraged Nines to unbuckle his seat belt and make a move to wake the boy up. He really found he didn’t want to; Gavin was dead tired, and it was probably better for him to just rest it out…

Humans were so damn needy.

Food, water, sleep…

Sighing grumpily, Nines threw open the backseat door and he paused as he took one long look at Gavin. The younger male’s hair had messily flopped to one side, and as Nines leaned forward, he was able to scent Gavin’s shampoo. The younger man had styled his hair in such an odd way, but Nines found he liked the uppercut. It somehow suited him, and he resisted the urge to run his fingers through the boy’s hair…

Well, unless it woke him up…

Deciding to test it out, Nines curled his fingers right into Gavin’s soft hair. Although he still had his gloves on, he could feel the silkiness of the youth’s hair, and he smiled as he gently moved his fingertips along Gavin’s scalp. He was being utterly gentle, but it appeared as though Gavin indeed was a light sleeper. He’d turned himself around, stretched, and sighed, and then opened his eyes as he peered ahead.

Screaming in shock, he reared up when his eyes met Nines’. “The hell??!” he cried out as he wrapped his sweater hurriedly around his body, “what’re you—”

“Shh,” Nines hissed, a little angry that the boy had woken up so easily, “we’re here.”

Following his pointed finger towards the dark mansion, Gavin raised a curious dark brown eyebrow. “But there’s no one here, Nines…”

Nines shook his head, “There definitely _is_ someone here, Gavin,” he corrected with a ghost of a smirk and playfulness in his eyes, “they’ve been watching us since we stopped at the gate, in fact…”

Rubbing his eyes as he groaned, Gavin was still going through the processes of waking up, and his stomach let out one of the deepest rumbles yet. Both Nines and Gavin stared down at it, and Gavin’s cheeks turned pink as he frowned at Nines.

Sighing as he stepped away from the car, Nines held open the door for him while holding a hand out. “Come on,” he encouraged, “let’s get moving.”

Nodding, Gavin was barely out of the car, when the lights outside the mansion blasted on. They pierced through the night sky, practically blinding the unsuspecting youth. He hid behind the open car door while hissing in pain, and Nines glared on at the front door.

He knew they had to head on, and he walked ahead boldly. As he inched closer and closer to the front door, Nines growled out in anger when he saw a large sign posted right above the doorway.

It bore the mark of the moon crescent shape.

They were in the right place.

He stood before the dark door, eyeing the antique trident-shaped knocker. Before Nines could grasp it and knock, however, the door squeaked, and then swung open almost violently.

A rifle was instantly in his face, loaded, and a finger already upon the trigger.

Nines merely smiled, however.

“Hello again, Amanda.”


	8. Agent of Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very sad chapter up ahead, depending on how you view it😱😨💔

 

The middle-aged African American woman held the rifle firmly in her hands, aiming it right for the center of Nines’ forehead. She growled angrily, her lips curling back as she stood equally before him. “Never thought you’d be so bold as to show your face around here, Agent Nines,” she laughed a cold, menacing laugh, and her eye turned malicious and dark, a deadly gleam in the center of them.

Nines merely smiled, calm and collected as ever. “Are you upset that I’ve returned to you?”

Her finger rested on the trigger, and she sneered. “Doesn’t _this_ tell you plenty?”

The hallway was incredibly dusty, dark, and the walls and floors were terribly old. Everything need to be renovated, as it appeared it was all on the verge on collapsing. Much indeed had changed since he’d last been here. The grand spiral staircase behind Amanda didn’t hold paintings and photographs of the children on the walls as it once used to. The only thing that remained in the bright red wallpapered walls were the hooks and nails that had once supported the large photographs. Dust that was shaped in the forms of rectangles had been the only clue that the portraits were there at one point, and Nines sighed as he turned back to Amanda.

This place had once been so colorful, so lively, so beautiful…and now? It was as dark and barren as a deadly wasteland. Nines could’ve sworn he heard the wind howling throughout the entire place, and along with it, perhaps the distant, haunting sounds of the laughter of innocent children?

She scowled at him, and didn’t want to lower her weapon.

He took a step towards her courageously, “Amanda, please—”

“I should shoot you right now,” she interrupted viciously, raising the firearm a little higher, as if to prove her point and go through with the bluff.

Nines looked down at the floor with a sad smile, “You should…”

That was when Amanda’s dark eyes widened for the first time that night with something other than anger and resentment. Those large eyes shined brightly, and her jaw slightly fell open.

As Nines stared intently at her, he soon heard the crunching of rocks and twigs coming from behind him in the open doorway. Amanda didn’t lower her weapon, but she peered out the open door past Nines and gasped.

The footsteps soon came to a halt, and Amanda paled when she looked beyond Nines’ shoulder.

Knowing exactly who was behind him, Nines merely looked into Amanda’s eyes with a pleading look upon his face. “Amanda,” he whispered almost desperately, “please, we need your help…”

The footsteps inched closer, and then Amanda’s shoulders sank as she still stared intently behind Nines. As the seconds ticked by, her face seemed to take over a pitiful, pained expression he hadn’t seen her bear in a long, long time. Still, it was refreshing and a welcome sight, nevertheless.

Finally, the footsteps stopped once again, and then a deep voice whispered out, “Hi…”

Nines tilted his head at Amanda, “I wouldn’t come here if this weren’t an emergency.”

Staring back and forth between Nines and Gavin, Amanda trembled a little, and then she finally sighed as she lowered her gun and put it at her side. Gone was the murderous look upon her face, and her stance and posture were a lot less threatening as she lowered her eyes to the floor and shook her head in mild disappointment.

“You’re one son of a bitch, Agent Nines,” she breathed out slowly, and then frowned up at him.

Nines only smiled in return, “I know.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Amanda turned on the kitchen lights slowly, though she still was carrying her firearm with her. As the dusty, moldy kitchen was illumined, the memories Nines didn’t want to acknowledge zipped and speared in through his mind. He reeled back as he held a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes as he willed and hoped they would leave, soon.

Gavin followed Amanda towards a large old fridge, and he stood back as she opened it up and pulled out sliced bread, turkey, ham, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, and a can of orange-flavored soda.

She sighed at Gavin, “I’m afraid this is the only flavor I have…”

He shrugged, “It’s okay; I’m just so hungry that I could eat a cow!!”

As he set out the food items on the kitchen counter in the center of the large room beneath a huge ceiling fan looming above their heads, Amanda pulled up a stool and sat down, smirking with interest as she stared at Gavin.

The young man got to work at preparing a sandwich hurriedly for himself, his eyes practically eating up the food before he even had his first bite. He tore wildly into the turkey meat package first, and Amanda sighed again as she bent down into an old cupboard and produced a small black pot. She placed it on the dark stove against the wall facing the kitchen counters, and she pointed at it. “Feel free to make some pasta too,” she then smirked at Gavin, “you really seem starved.”

Munching already on his sandwich, Gavin beamed at her. “Oh, you’ve nooo idea,” crumbs gathered on his chin and lips, and he munched on, soon scarfing down half the sandwich in two bites.

Amanda grinned playfully at him while she adjusted her pink night robe. As Nines watched her, he felt a little angry with himself. She’d more than likely been fast asleep until they’d rudely arrived with an invitation. This was piss poor manners and conduct on his part, but he was beyond desperate and needy. At the very least, he hoped she would come to understand in time…

As if sensing his inner thoughts and turmoil, Amanda stared over at him while propping a hand beneath her chin. “Look at you, Nines,” her eyes were shining with amusement, “always thinking…”

Before Nines could respond to her, Gavin popped open the lid of his orange soda. He paused, took a sip, and then wiped his lips. “How do you two know each other?” he asked, staring back and forth between Amanda and Nines curiously.

His question drew a sweet smile from Amanda. Her eyelashes fluttered at him as she inhaled through her nose. “I’m Nines’ mother.”

Gavin’s jaw fell, and he soon choked on bits of chewed up food still within his mouth. Amanda winced from the sight of it, but then gently made her way to his side, softly patting him in the center of his back before he choked. Once he’d regained composure, she held up the soda for him, and he took another sip before coughing.

“What?!?!?” he cried out in shock; eyes wide as he pushed aside his sandwich. “I thought androids didn’t—”

“They don’t,” Amanda interrupted, and she finally made her way back to her original sitting position across from Gavin. She wrapped her night robe around herself before sitting down again and sighing as she crossed her arms over her chest. Something akin to pain crossed over her features, and she rubbed her eyes and forehead as she frowned down at the center of the counter. It remained awkwardly silent for a few more minutes before Gavin chewed on sliced bread, simply staring at Amanda as he waited for her to continue. Her sad eyes seemed to tell a tale all on their own, and Gavin was her captured audience and listener as not even a peep came out of him while he observed her.

Nines stood leaning against the wall closest to the exit leading back into the dark hallway. His eyes swept over the kitchen before landing on the black blinds cleverly pulled down over every single large window. This place hadn’t always been like a prison, but he was grateful for Amanda’s amendments. Who knew for how long she herself had been hiding, but he felt more than confident that she knew fully well how to guard, protect, and survive all on her own.

Right now, his main concern was Gavin’s safety.

Drumming her fingernails and fingertips over the counter when it’d been far too silent, Amanda decided to carry on. “I used to watch over many young ones here,” she stated as she looked up at the ceiling fondly while her long, single-braid swished about over her shoulders and back. Her eyes warmed up with emotions as she pressed on, “I was ‘mother’ to them all for many, many years, simply taking care of them if they had no one else and nowhere else to go…” she then frowned, and her nose scrunched up as if she’d smelled something foul. “…Years passed, and we were all happy, but then…there’s always, _always_ a monster around.” Holding a hand against her mouth, she almost whispered eerily, “I should’ve known such a sweet fairy tale life came with a monster from the dark ready to attack us all…our days were numbered.”

Gavin only looked at her blankly, and she said, “This place used to be a home and a foster residence for lost youth…”

She turned to Nines, and the android merely looked down at the floor as he scowled in anger. Amanda huffed. “An agency known as ‘The Moon’ soon bought this place, and they decided what would become of my children.” She looked back at Gavin, shaking her head. “They decided suddenly that my children were ‘old’ and ‘obsolete’, and they had to go…” giggling lightly even though it was hardly all amusing, she wiped her eyes, “…can you imagine investing so much time, energy, love, and hope in young ones, watching them learn, play, grow, and training them yourself to become soldiers for the government, only to have them thrown out like old shoes when they’re no longer wanted?”

Gavin’s face turned yellow-white, and he could hardly swallow the rest of his bread down. He soon gave up on eating it, and he merely placed it down in the center of the small white plate Amanda had given him previously.

Eyeing his unfinished bread, Amanda reached across the counter and picked it up. Holding it before her eyes, she smiled at it. “I’m not proud of the things I did in my youth, but saving a lot of orphaned children was the only way I was able to even look at myself in the mirror after so long…” tossing the bread back down into the plate, she sighed in exhaustion. “My ‘Moon Children’ were expendable, unfortunately; androids were the more popular choice, and soon, they were all I had to look after…”

That’s when Gavin turned to look at Nines, and the tall android sneered at him silently.

“Nines was one of my best,” Amanda carried on sadly, “he was a leader in more ways than I could be, and he showed the most promise in the training he received.”

“I was just a killer,” Nines interrupted, causing Gavin to shiver, and Amanda merely smiled on sadly.

She shook her head slowly, “Not necessarily; you showed the others the right way, Nines…”

“By killing???”

Amanda dropped her hands into her lap and frowned ahead at him. “Your guilt won’t ever escape you, granted,” she hissed softly between clenched teeth, “but you didn’t have a choice; I _did_.”

Nines was silent at once, and it seemed as though he was about to explode. He bit his tongue and the insides of his cheeks, and he spun around as he crept down the long, dark hallway.

Gavin began to tear away after him, “Nines!”

“Leave him be,” Amanda warned, gently placing a hand over Gavin’s shoulder as she held him back, “he has a lot to think about for the time being.”

Gavin huffed, but sat back down on his stool as he stared at his untouched food. Amanda smiled at him and pushed his soda closer towards him. Refusing to drink it, he stood up and fumbled around his jean pockets awkwardly for a moment.

When he stared back up into Amanda’s eyes, he blushed. “I’m sorry Ma’am,” he whispered shyly, “do you think you could maybe give me a light and a cigarette, please?”

His response was Amanda beaming at him. “You’re a very strange young man indeed,” she chuckled warmly and got up. “Alright then, let’s see what I can do for you.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Nines had angrily stormed up to the second level of the mansion. He walked past all the rooms that had once been bedrooms and personal ‘homes’ for all the young children Amanda had taken in and trained so they would grow to become deadly soldiers. It was so difficult and eerie to believe that all this had started so very long ago in this very place that had been constructed and built for seemingly good purposes. It was for that same reason that Nines felt he’d lost the last bits of his ‘innocence’ as well. He remembered the day he’d learned that their true purpose and nature in the foster had been meant for destruction, war, violence, and malice; not quite the lovely happy-ending story Amanda had forced down their throats and ears for decades.

He could almost hear the ghostly laughter of children as they often ran about down the halls during their leisure time. Androids looking to be the same age as Gavin Reed had even been housed here, and they would often follow Nines around like puppies as they looked up to him as though he were their older brother. He’d taken them all under his wing, and Amanda had told him to ‘watch out for them’ as though she were their guardian angel…

Growling, Nines pushed through the last half-open door on the right and tore inside the room. It was stacked and crowded with old computers, boxes holding technological equipment, books, TVs, radios, and even old teddy bears…

Nines picked one up by the windowsill, and as he peered at the old brown bear, he brushed heavy dust off its nose. Its eyes weren’t as glassy as a brand-new teddy bear’s were, but this still served as a memory that this had belonged to a child once upon a time…

Cradling the bear to his chest, he bent his neck down and sniffed the top of its head. It only smelled like dust, and Nines felt irritated and enraged at once. How many children were taken in here, only to be disposed of and wiped off the face of the earth later so coldly and callously?!

Roaring from the top of his lungs, he flung the teddy bear down to the floor, and as he spun around to exit the room, he saw Amanda lingering in the doorway.

His lips curled back in a snarl. “What do you want of me?!”

She looked coldly down at the floor. “Don’t dig into the past, Nines; it’s forbidden.”

Choosing to ignore her warning, he strode up to her, holding his hands down by his sides clenched tightly in fists. “Do you _ever_ pause for a moment and wonder what became of all your children?!” he spat down at her with anger in his eyes, “doesn’t that ever bother you? Or does the ‘All-Loving-Mother’ just not give a damn anymore??”

Remaining silent for a moment, Amanda’s breaths could hardly be heard in the silence suffocating them in the room. The walls were barren, the ceiling was cracked and damaged in many places, and dust coated nearly every little nook and cranny. It was all so old, and there was a distinct stench of sweat and possibly tears. Nines chose to ignore it as he glared down at Amanda, hoping for some kind of a response from her.

She finally glanced up into his eyes, and his jaw fell open as he found himself reluctantly taking one step back at the look she was giving him. She seemed so pained, tired, fragile, and old, suddenly. This wasn’t the ‘Mother’ he’d remembered many years ago…

“Contrary to what you may wish to believe, Nines,” she breathed out calmly, “I loved all my children dearly and equally.”

He unfortunately detected no deception or sarcasm from her, and it only pissed him off more to hear it. Snarling again at her, he spat, “Some of _your children_ are possibly trying to kill me and the young man I brought here with me tonight, so why don’t you explain to me just what the hell is going on here??”

Standing rooted to the spot like a frozen stiff statue, Amanda raised one eyebrow. “I tried requesting to keep in contact with my children after they left me, Nines, you should know that!”

He wasn’t buying it. “Someone wanted me to kill Zlatko Andronikov almost a week ago,” he explained, “as far as I know, I got the job done, but I later found out he had a body double…” leaning into Amanda, he whispered, “why?”

Amanda lifted a hand into the air, though she made no move to initiate physical contact with Nines; she merely held her hand up. “Did this individual have a crescent shape symbol on their skin?”

Nines’ eyes widened. “Yes…” his breath got caught in his throat. “How did you—”

“It’s the mark of my many ‘Moon Children’, Nines,” she smiled softly, “you have one as well.”

He shook his head, “I have no god damn marks on me, Amanda, now cut the bullshit and answer me!”

Still smiling, she placed her hand very carefully and slowly upon his shoulder. Nines winced from the contact, though he made no move to push her hand away. “You were one of the most stubborn of my children, Nines,” she whispered before him, and her breath tickled his chin, much like a spider crawling across his flesh.

“Always asking questions, always struggling, always fighting, always a rebellious one…” chuckling warmly, she gently wove her hand over towards the back of his head and stroked the short, dark hair there for a few moments in silence before she continued. “I’m so glad to see that hasn’t changed...”

Gripping her hand in his own tightly, Nines shoved her arm down. “I don’t have the—”

In a flash, Amanda snatched his wrist, and she yanked his dark uniform sleeve up. Nines fought and protested against it, but in the end, he was simply powerless as he felt his curiosity getting the better of him. It worked like a drug first being introduced into his system; paralyzing him slowly before it completely took over. He could only stand there in shock as Amanda revealed his white flesh one inch at a time.

Pointing at the center of his forearm, she cooed and tapped her index finger on the human skin they both were staring intently at. “Ah yes,” she purred, “if there’s one other thing about you I always enjoyed, Nines, it was your ability to bury yourself so deeply in denial.”

As they stared down at his forearm, Nines felt himself going numb from worry and fear.

Right there clear as day for them to see, was the shape and mark of the crescent Nines had previously seen on the corpse in the coroner’s office in the DPD.

Amanda’s fingernail scraped over it gently, tracing its shape as she sighed in pleasure. She tilted her head up and smiled joyfully at Nines when he met her eyes.

“Funny thing about denial, though,” she purred charmingly, “you can only run away from it for so long, as it has a nasty habit of catching up with you, Nines…”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Gavin was smoking a cigarette and lightly dancing to music playing on an old radio in the kitchen when Nines and Amanda arrived back downstairs to join him. Making sure to keep their voices low, they were chatting while Gavin danced on as though his life depended on it.

The sight of it apparently made Amanda giggle, and she stopped Nines from intervening as he attempted to shut off the music and order Gavin to cease and desist.

“Leave him, Nines,” she hissed softly, “we have matters to discuss anyway.”

“Brat,” Nines threw out before Gavin, though the young man didn’t hear him over the rap and hip-hop music blasting from the radio.

He shook his head as he turned back to Amanda. “Why wasn’t I able to remember anything about the ‘Moon Children’?”

The question had been a crucial part of his life as an Agent. Nines simply couldn’t remember much of his life before and after leaving Amanda, but he’d always wondered why. It surely couldn’t have all been due to repression and his choice to conceal and bury his own memories…could it?

Amanda studied him silently before she tapped a finger on her chin. “In all my years training and shaping androids to offer productive services for the Agency, I must say, I never met one as stubborn as you, Nines.”

Scoffing, Nines leaned against her. “The Agency had my memories wiped, didn’t they?”

“Had you remained here a little longer, then that answer would be ‘yes’, Nines,” Amanda responded while staring back at Gavin, “but you see, the answer is ‘no’, whether you want it to be or not.”

He’d wanted to interrupt her with a snappy remark, but she held up a hand and curtly shook her head, indicating to him that she hadn’t finished speaking. “The Agency worried that deviant androids would eventually rise up and discover their dirty secrets, and as such, majority of your siblings who lingered here for too long had all their memories wiped and stripped from them.”

“Those bastards…”

She sighed as she nodded in agreement. “They did whatever they could to protect themselves, even if it meant resetting the assets and products into more fashionable, obedient things.”

Nines was furious with her, but he bit down on the expletives about to fly out of his mouth as he dug his teeth into his tongue. “This ‘Moon Child’ I saw and killed,” he hated talking about it again, especially when Amanda visibly tensed up, “he was one of us…”

A dark scowl was upon Amanda’s face before she nodded. “Yes,” she snapped with ice and fire burning in her voice and eyes, “though I assume you’re going to judge me harshly for the choices my children made after they left me?”

“No,” Nines responded, “I wasn’t going to say such a thing!”

“What they all did was their choice,” Amanda spoke over him, “my job was raising you all, taking care of you, training you, and providing you with shelter until the day arrived where the Agency would inevitably take over; that’s all.”

What else had he been expecting from the poor woman? Amanda had lived a treacherous and difficult life growing up. She didn’t enjoy regaling the tales, but she’d run away from home before turning sixteen due to the fear that her stepfather would rape her. Unfortunately, she’d trusted the wrong people and turned to them for friendship, and she’d been forced into a life of drugs, prostitution, and burglary to support herself. That’s when the Agency found her, and on the day she turned eighteen, she was trained as a special agent working undercover for them. As she aged, she had to ‘retire’ and become ‘Mother’ for all the Moon Children for many years until Androids were favored over the human models. She’d been through a lot, and Nines held great respect for her. He was her first ‘android Moon Child’, and she loved him dearly, even to this day.

“You need to think, Nines,” she advised as he got lost in his thoughts. “Thinking is all we have now, and only _you_ know why your memories aren’t easily accessed.”

“But I have them?” he asked in an unsure tone, and Amanda softly stroked his cheek.

“Of course you do, my child,” she held his hands in her own, rubbing the back of his hands and knuckles gently, “that was never taken away from you, and never will be.”

He didn’t want to trust that, but he knew there was no other explanation. He was his own worst enemy, and he was standing in the way of finding out everything he’d been taught about ‘Moon Children’ and the ‘Agency’.

Amanda hummed as she watched Gavin sway and dance about in the kitchen. “And what of this young man, Nines?” she asked gently, and Nines turned his attention back to Gavin.

“Hmm?”

She laughed, “Such a lively young man with so much energy…where did you find him?”

Nines sighed, “Long story, Amanda.”

“I have time,” she suggested, though he waved her off with a hand. She wasn’t giving up, however, and she merely pushed him in the shoulder lightly. “He told me he is sick, Nines,” Amanda’s eyes seemed suddenly a little apprehensive and sad, “is this true?”

Not wanting to lie to someone who took care of him and took him in when no one else would, Nines nodded slowly. “He has depression and anxiety, so he says…”

“I see…” her eyes twinkled with emotions, and she laughed again, “taking in orphans as well, Nines?” she didn’t wait for him to respond, “like mother, like son?”

Before he could say anything else, however, Amanda turned back again and stared at Gavin. She gasped, and then stood up as she screeched, “What the _hell_ are you doing?!?”

Nines glared up in time to see Gavin pointing his half-burnt cigarette down over a large potted plant by the window.

Amanda huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m sorry!” Gavin gasped out, “I couldn’t find anything else to use!”

“Do you even know who that plant was in his previous life??” Amanda questioned with an eyebrow raised up to her hairline.

Gavin gaped at the plant, and then at Amanda. “No?”

She shook her head. “Carl Jung! That plant was Carl Jung in his previous life!!”

“Ooooh,” Gavin nodded slowly, eyes turning a little foggy as he then frowned. “Wait…was that guy Chinese?”

“Of course he wasn’t! He was Swiss!” Amanda corrected, glaring away angrily at Gavin until he stepped away from the plant. “That’s not a damn ashtray, young man!” she howled as she stomped a foot down on the floor and made Gavin cower down in fear.

The young man recovered from his fear rather quickly, however, and he rolled his eyes. “For fuck’s sake,” he groused, “this entire place is covered in ash and dust, what difference would more of it in the plant make when I can’t even find an ashtray in this mess?!?”

Taking over before Amanda exploded, Nines stood tall. “Oh get up off your lazy gay ass!” he snapped as he pointed down at the center of the old kitchen table, “there’s one right on the table over there!!”

Gavin held both his hands up as he bit down on his cigarette, and then extinguished it on the ashtray. “Jeeez!” he wheezed out and then coughed, “no need to treat me like I’m Zlatko!”

Scowling, Nines pointed thickly at him in a warning, “If you even fucking mention that perverted, genocidal bastard’s name here again, I’ll turn you upside down, beat you senseless, and string you up by your fucking balls from Amanda’s prayer flags!!”

Amanda hid a small smile behind a hand pressed firmly over her mouth while Gavin’s eyes widened drastically.

He coughed, “Okay! Alright, I won’t say his name again!!”

Nines nodded and clapped him on the back, “Good, now get yourself ready, we have to leave here, now!”

As they tore down through the hall leading back out the front door, Amanda called out after them, “Nines, you both can stay here for the night; my door’s always been open to you.”

Gavin seemed thrilled at that prospect, but before he could turn around and head back inside the large mansion, Nines gripped his shirt collar tightly in a hand. Gavin yelped as he was pulled back rudely.

“Amanda,” Nines sighed, “I can’t risk endangering you by lingering around here.”

Amanda didn’t want to hear any of it. “Hush, Nines,” she reached forward for Gavin, gripping him by the shoulders and almost steering him up to the staircase. “This was once a home for errant children, and I see one before my very eyes right now.”

Gavin gasped, “Heyyy, I’m not errant!!”

Amanda giggled lightly, but pushed him up the steps as he went up without much of a struggle.

Closing and locking the front door tightly, Nines felt grateful for Amanda’s help. Truth be told, he had no idea how he was planning on driving back with Gavin as they planned their next steps. Where would they even go?

He had no idea, but he found himself thinking it through when he joined Amanda and Gavin upstairs. There was a room with a large King-size bed, a chest before the foot of the bed that was locked and firmly shut, as well as a dark oak standing dresser leaning against a wall. Aside from these things, the room was otherwise empty and clear.

Nines couldn’t remember in his day what this room had served as far as a purpose was concerned, but he still was certain he heard laughter of innocent children ringing about in the air. He didn’t wish to be in the room long, and thankfully, once Amanda had tucked Gavin in bed, given him a glass of fresh water, and helped him take off his shoes, she turned away and shut off the lights in the room.

Closing the door shut softly, she held up a hand before Nines could speak. “Just promise me one thing, Nines, and then I will go to bed with a smile on my face for the entire night…”

She waited until he’d nodded at her, his mouth in a firm line as his lips pressed tightly together.

When she was certain he wasn’t going to speak again, she placed a hand over his thirium pump upon his chest and sighed. She leaned her head down over it, her ear grazing the spot right above where the significant part of him beat and worked.

“Promise me you’ll always take care of Gavin,” she pointed at his chest with a tiny finger.

Nines frowned, “Why should I do that?”

“Just promise me,” Amanda pressed out almost desperately. “He reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger and had no one to turn to and trust, but I can tell that the young man sleeping on the other side of this door trusts you, Nines!”

Rolling his eyes and scoffing, Nines made his way down the dimly lit hall with Amanda at his side. “I doubt he trusts me, Amanda; I abducted him because he saw me—”

“I don’t care what happened!” Amanda suddenly snapped, turning on him as she nearly pushed him against a wall roughly, “I just care about this young man, Nines, and I want you to promise me, as one of _my_ children, that you will do your best to protect Gavin Reed!”

Deciding right then and there that it was a better option to get Amanda off his back immediately, Nines nodded as he wormed his way out between her body and the wall. “I promise!” he hissed out hurriedly, “I’ll do my best to protect Gavin!!”

She seemed satisfied with his answer, though her eyes and facial features seemed to display that she was either nervous, or in some pain. She hung her head low and nodded. “Thank you, Nines,” facing forward again, she took the first few steps towards her room. “I won’t ever ask anything from you ever again; you have my word.”

“Alright, Amanda.”

She held out her hand for him to take, and he turned it over, kissing the back of it while she pushed open her bedroom door. Bits of light from within the room poured out into the hallway, and as it surrounded Amanda, it practically made it seem as though she was glowing…like an angel…

The lights were playing tricks on his eyes. He shook his head and watched her retreat into her room, the door slowly closing behind her.

“Goodnight, my child.”

The door clicked shut softly, and Nines was left encased in the darkness of the halls. He decided to go pick a room out for the night and think a plan through, but before he did, he turned back to face Amanda’s closed bedroom door once more. He saw shadows emanating from beneath the doorway, and a small, orange-yellow glow almost seeping out like mist before his feet. It made him feel warm, but that moment hadn’t even lasted a second.

He continuously looked down remorsefully as he whispered out, “Goodnight, mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I freakin LOVE what I did what Amanda's character in this. I feel like I created a weird 'redeeming arc' for her without even thinking about it, but it totally works for this fic for some reason in my opinion!!!!!!!!  
> Amanda was a good mom and is still trying to be with Gavin 😭😭😭


	9. A Taunting Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nines and Gavin bond so much in this it's kind of sad in a good way...

His mind registered that the sound of his door opening slowly with a dull creak had happened almost in slow motion. It wasn’t even three in the morning, and someone was walking around…foolish, brave, stupid. What a way to spoil a very calm, tranquil, peaceful night. He’d only wanted to get a good view from the large windows like he used to do so many years ago in perhaps the very same room.

The night was relaxing to look at, and Nines had always enjoyed and been drawn to the night more than the day. Daytime was too noisy, too busy, too crazy and fast-paced. The night held greater sights and sounds, more life, more variety, and it always promised to hold his darkest of secrets forever…

Nines sat up from his spot by the window, and he glared away in the darkness as he heard footsteps approaching steadily. He’d been in the middle of reminiscing a lot of fond and painful memories when the intruder had disturbed him.

“What do you want, brat?” Nines growled once he saw it was Gavin who’d brazenly walked into his dark room.

Cringing, the adolescent stood next to him while he sat perched in a chair before the dark window. “I couldn’t s-sleep,” Gavin admitted in a weak voice, “I sometimes get insomnia…”

“You poor thing,” Nines spat sarcastically, and then he turned back to peer out the window. He didn’t want to say anything, but he’d been grateful Gavin hadn’t chosen to wake Amanda up. She seemed a lot more fragile and emotionally worn-out since Nines remembered, and if something happened to her…no, he refused to even think about it.

Choosing to turn to Gavin once again, Nines sneered at him. “What is it you want, then?”

“J-just to talk…”

“To talk?” he spun around, making it so he completely faced Gavin in his chair. “What do you care to know, then, you nosy child?”

Gavin only smiled politely, “I guess I wanted to start by saying thank you to you and Amanda…she was really nice to me and took good care of me.”

Nines cocked his head at Gavin, “She’s a nurturing type.”

Looking down shyly, Gavin nodded, “I like her a lot.”

“Everyone does,” Nines added dully, “that’s why we called her ‘mother’, after all.”

Gavin seemed to gain enough courage to peer back into Nines’ eyes, and the android was stunned for a brief moment. He’d had plenty of moments where people stared into his eyes, and oftentimes, he’d slaughtered them over a hundred times for displaying such boldness and crass. Gavin was doing it just as tactlessly, and for a second, Nines considered just ridding himself of the boy. It would be so simple, as well. He could perhaps strangle him, or maybe poison him…or suffocate him with a pillow. That way, mother wouldn’t hear it, and he could flee before dawn and get rid of the body.

“Nines?”

He was shaken out of his imaginings and musing, and he sighed. “Hmm?”

“I was just wondering,” Gavin whispered, “what was it like living here when you were…umm…” they both knew he couldn’t say ‘younger’, but Gavin shrugged, “…you know, less of a killer?”

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Nines stood from his chair, and he walked over towards his bed in the center of the room. Plopping down on it, he pet a spot beside himself, indicating to Gavin that he was welcome to sit beside him. Gavin sat himself down shortly after, and he gathered his knees into his chest as he perched on the edge of the bed while smiling patiently at Nines.

Nines didn’t want to admit it, but even the sheer look of happiness in Gavin’s face made him sick. He wished he could just wipe it off completely, but he inside chose to just talk to the boy and that way-perhaps just ignore the strange looks the adolescent was giving him. There was no way a jaded mercenary such as he would be affected by this young…thing…

“I learned many things here,” Nines began, smiling as he remembered training and guiding human ‘Moon Children’ before the androids came in and had to take over. They were all just tests, however, merely being exploited to see which methods worked, and which ones didn’t before a ‘superior’ species was ordered to take the lead.

Choosing to keep the somber and dark memories out, Nines smiled as he lay on his side and stared ahead. “It wasn’t always so bad, but it wasn’t always too exciting; we were training to be soldiers, as Amanda said many times.”

Nodding, Gavin also lay on his side, and he stared intently at Nines’ LED light while the android continued reminiscing out loud.

“We learned and developed so many ways of communicating that extended even beyond usual sign language,” he smiled, and his LED light blinked blue. Leaning back on his elbows, he sighed, following his train of thoughts and memories while Gavin stared at him.

Feeling he was being watched for far too long, Nines caught Gavin eyeing and studying him with such intense fixation that the android reeled back from it. However, it seemed as though Gavin held a question in his mind, and he smiled brightly as he whispered, “Can you teach me some?”

Nines lowered his head, wondering if he’d said too much suddenly. “It’s something of a ‘code’ we made up for each other so only we ourselves would have the ability to understand it.” He hoped this would drop the topic, but the adolescent seemed more interested, now. Inching closer to Nines, he stretched himself out on the bed.

“Please teach me some…”

“Fine,” Nines stated, not really wanting to argue or drag this out longer than necessary, especially at this hour in the morning. Shifting to a more comfortable seating position on the bed, he held out his right hand, and then bunched it into a loose fist.

Gavin watched him, and then Nines hissed, “Just copy me.”

He waited until the youth had done the same thing with his right-hand wrist, and then Nines slowly extended and uncurled his pinky finger and let it hang a little limply down.

Gavin’s was sticking up straight, and Nines frowned. “No,” he gently tapped on the pinky finger a few times, “curl it downwards,” he then watched as the young man obediently followed suit until his finger was also curved.

“Yes,” Nines then moved his hand in a swiping motion up towards the left once. Gavin copied him with a small grin on his face.

“What does this mean?” he asked softly, and Nines smiled.

“It means ‘brother’,” he let the smile on his face grow, “it’s how we all called upon each other silently.”

Smirking, Gavin repeated the gesture a few times, “Cool!! Can you teach me one more?”

Frowning, Nines tried digging and burying back into his memories, but he only remembered a few more of those coded hand gestures, and he selected the easiest one that came to his mind so freely.

He nodded once he decided on it. “Very well,” he sat up straight, using his left-hand this time, and once again, he bunched it into a fist and patiently waited until Gavin had imitated him before he continued. Nines then stuck out his thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and he very slowly and very carefully placed it right over where his thirum pump was located. He watched as Gavin did the same and placed his fingers over his heart, and then he innocently stared back into Nines’ eyes.

“What’s this mean?” he asked curiously, and Nines was silent for a long time.

The memories were seeping into his brain so quickly that he wasn’t able to properly view or decipher them all at once. It was as if someone had put on a movie and had fast-forwarded it by 100 times the regular speed. It made him dizzy and sick, but he saw bright sunny days, flowers growing in the fields and meadows surrounding the mansion, he saw Amanda holding little children to her chest as she sang songs for them and made them smile. He saw rows upon rows of rigid androids standing up dressed in identical uniforms, all their LED lights yellow as their emotionless faces stared on straight ahead. They all suddenly marched forward, the children ran screaming in terror, and there was thick, dark smoke soon rising up high into the sky…

He shook himself out of the memory.

Gavin leaned into him carefully, “Nines?” his tone was even softer and quieter than before as he warily stared at Nines, “what’s this hand gesture thing mean?”

Swallowing, Nines stood to his feet, and he gently grabbed Gavin’s elbow. The boy’s hand still rested in the same position over his chest, but he got to his own feet as he stood evenly before the tall android.

Refusing to meet his eyes, Nines listened to the breeze blowing about outside the windows and howling throughout the large, empty mansion.

Finally, he sighed out his answer, “It means ‘protect me’.”

Not wanting to stick around and provide the young man with time to talk, Nines ushered him towards the door. “You have to leave,” he stated dully as he carefully wrenched open the door and pointed down the hall, “go to bed.”

Gavin’s shoulders sank, but he otherwise nodded and silently headed out of Nines’ room obediently. Nines waited until he’d exited the room completely before he closed his door and stared down at the handle.

The locking mechanism of it was gone, and he figured Amanda had removed all the other locks on the bedroom doors for a safety measure. Not that he particularly blamed her, seeing as she was staying in such a large abode all alone…

An owl hooted in the distance somewhere, and Nines ran a hand through his hair. Using the minor bits of light peeking in between the blinds, Nines once again found his eyes studying the crescent mark on his forearm. He scowled at it, wondering so much about its history and about the man he’d slaughtered who bore the same mark.

When the wind howled particularly loudly once more and a door creaked again somewhere down the long halls, Nines finally turned his back on the door and got into his bed.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Nines heard jovial chatting as soon as he snapped out of stasis the same morning. Checking the time hurriedly, he found it to be just slightly past 7, which meant they had plenty of time to start back on their journey.

Heading down to the kitchen where the voices were coming from, he soon heard sizzling sounds and cupboard doors opening and closing…his system alerted him to the fact that someone was making breakfast…

But it couldn’t have been Amanda…she hadn’t done something like that in so, so very long!

Hurrying his feet along the floors when he had his black dress shoes on, Nines stumbled into the kitchen and peered inside. The blinds were still partly pulled down, and someone indeed had been making breakfast! More accurately, it’d been both Amanda, and Gavin Reed.

They stood next to each other before the stove, and Amanda was watching Gavin hold a dark frying pan in his hands. He’d already poured in the batter for what appeared to be pancakes, and as Amanda giggled, Gavin flipped the pancake into the air while holding onto the handle of the frying pan tightly.

“I should maybe become a chef!” Gavin chirped, and Amanda giggled again as she nodded eagerly.

She then moved over towards the old fridge, and as Nines watched on, she pulled out a fresh orange, and then a mug. Delicately-but firmly-squeezing the orange after slicing it in half, she added in the pulp and juice into the mug, and then set it on the counter.

Nines didn’t want to admit it, but they both looked so… ‘happy’. He really didn’t want to interrupt them, especially when Amanda turned back to Gavin, placed her hand on his shoulder, and then whispered out words of encouragement as he flipped his pancake so the other side would be cooked now as well.

Perhaps this was how it’d been meant to be all along…perhaps…before the accident…

Scowling at his thoughts, Nines straightened his posture, and then he stalked into the kitchen.

Amanda turned around and beamed at him brightly. “Good morning, Nines,” she greeted, and he merely gave her a curt nod as he stood next to Gavin.

The adolescent whipped around excitedly and gave a small wave. “Hey Nines! Want a pancake?”

“We have to leave,” Nines growled, ignoring whatever they were doing as Gavin turned off the stove sadly.

“But we just barely woke up!” the youth groused painfully, “can’t we stay a little longer?”

“No, we may not!” Nines snapped in an answer, scowling over at Amanda. She blushed a little, but otherwise didn’t argue as she placed her hands on her hips.

It was strangely silent for a moment, but Gavin began nonetheless searching around for Maple Syrup. As he opened and closed cupboard doors, Amanda shook her head slowly at Nines and spoke out, “I see you don’t waste time, Nines…so eager to find out who’s after you that you’re willing to put this boy in harm’s way?”

“I resent that statement,” Nines objected quickly, pausing for a moment when Gavin grabbed the sweet syrup and sat down to cut into his pancake. Nines sighed as he turned to Amanda once again and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Mother,” he began softly, ignoring Gavin’s curious eyes on his back, “I’m not ungrateful to you for providing us with shelter, food for Gavin, and some answers to my questions…”

Amanda’s stern look died down, and she merely smiled as she nodded. “I understand your plight and questions, Nines,” she sighed sadly, “although I’m not sure what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, I have absolute faith in you that you’ll put an end to what conflicts you.”

“One way or another, I will.”

“I thought as much…” staring into his eyes seriously, she then extended her arms, and she wove them around his waist as she held him close to her body in a tiny embrace. He truthfully couldn’t remember when she’d done this to him last, but he soon found himself relaxing in her warm, comforting embrace. He simply allowed himself to be held against her, though his hands didn’t move up to wrap around her.

Eventually, Amanda pulled away, and she looked away sadly as she stared across the kitchen at nothing, seemingly. “In the next room you’ll find a fresh change of clothing I’ve set out for you, Nines,” she announced as she smiled warmly at Gavin when he’d finished his breakfast up and placed the utensils in the sink. She then turned back to Nines once more, and he now saw that her eyes were dewy, and slightly pink…

“Mother—”

“Shh,” shaking her head, she backed away from him, “please don’t argue with me, Nines,” she advised softly, “just change your own mind and heart, and please be careful with Gavin.”

He knew she’d meant for him to remember his promise, and he once again felt his anger rising. Not wanting to say much about it in front of the young, curious adolescent, Nines merely huffed, turned away from them both, and set out to dress into his fresh clothes.

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Hank had been staring for minutes on end without blinking at his laptop screen. He’d been so lucky to have the security footage of the incident in the DPD parking lot recorded and sent to him by Officer Chen. As he sat and studied it for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon, Connor slowly crept into his office after knocking lightly on the wall to let him know he was here.

“Stop dallying and get in here, Connor,” Hank gruffly spat out as he put on his glasses and motioned at a vacant chair next to the one he was currently occupying.

Connor was by his side in an instant, and as they both looked at the footage one more time, Connor soon let out a small, broken sigh. “It’s no use, Hank,” he stated plainly, “no matter how hard you look, you can’t find the imposter on this footage.”

Hank stubbornly rewound the footage with the click of a button. “You can stay pessimistic for as long as you like, Connor,” he growled grumpily, “but I’m gonna sit here and watch this damn thing over and over, until I find a—”

His thoughts and words had been rudely interrupted when his cellphone rang loudly. Connor sprang into action, and he grabbed Hank’s phone off the side of the desk as he offered it to the older man. Hank snatched it right out of Connor’s hand, and he answered the call as he glared away ahead at the screen once more.

“What?!?” he snapped at whoever was calling, and it wasn’t too long on the other end of the line before someone huffed.

“Anderson, you stupid son of a bitch…”

Hank rolled his eyes and pressed a hand against his forehead in despair, “What the fuck do you want, Jeffrey?”

His ex-police Captain snorted, “Why don’t _you_ start by telling me why you were attacking Connor in his underwear in the parking lot for everyone to see?? Hmm?!”

Peering back at the footage, Hank knew how this all appeared. Fast forwarding the footage, he brought it to where the cameras caught him throwing himself violently at the half-nude Connor as he beat him with his fists.

Sighing, Fowler didn’t give him to answer. “If anyone else sees this shit, Anderson, they’ll think you’ve finally fuckin’ lost it! Don’t you know that??!”

Smirking to himself, Hank cradled his phone between his ear and shoulder tightly. “I’m surprised you somehow find _this_ shit far worse than the hundred rules I broke by sneaking into the DPD, Jeffrey.”

“Oh I was just getting to that, smartass,” Fowler growled, and Hank had to hold the phone away from his ear when it buzzed. “If I _ever_ catch you snoopin’ around again in my precinct, Anderson, both you and your android will be so fuckin’ sorry, that it won’t even come close to the scariest thing in all of human history!! Are we clear?!?”

Hank nodded, even though Fowler was unable to see it.

“I said, are we cl—”

Hank disconnected the call, rudely hanging up on Fowler as his lips curled back into a disgusted expression. “Yeah, yeah,” he snorted, “clear as my ass, Fowler.” Before he could toss his phone back onto his desk, it rang quickly once more.

Reluctantly, Hank answered it. “Yes, dear?”

“And one more thing!” Fowler screamed angrily, “keep your domestic disputes with Connor at _your_ own home, got it?!?!”

Hank hung up on Fowler once more, and this time, he turned his phone off as he sat back and tore his glasses off the bridge of his nose. He massaged and pinched the sore and sensitive bridge of his nose and corners of his eyes while Connor stared intently at him, and then over at the screen.

Leaning back finally, Connor shook his head as his LED light flashed yellow. “It’s no use, Lieutenant,” he softly stated, “there’s no clue here at all.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, Connor,” the lazy and tired growl came from Hank as he placed his glasses in his lap.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant,” Connor chirped with an air of encouragement, “there are pieces of this puzzle about, and we _will_ find them when the time is right!!”

So it appeared that Connor chose to foolishly believe that things fell into place at a certain time, but Hank wasn’t much of a firm believer when it came to things like that. Grumbling and muttering under his breath, he placed his eyeglasses back in their case, and then powered off his laptop.

“I still have plenty of unanswered questions, Connor,” he waved at the screen as it turned black slowly, “and I don’t like that none of this so far is lining up with the Zlatko body double at all!”

While nodding, a little grin found its way on Connor’s face. “I too have many questions, Lieutenant…” he stated with bit of playfulness both in his tone and eyes.

Hank felt himself being drawn to the mystery surrounding Connor’s statement. “Oh yeah?” he sat up in his seat, “what questions are goin’ through your mind, Connor?”

Grinning impishly, Connor snickered, “Well, for one,” he began as a little evil twinkle was in the center of his eyes, “I _do_ have to wonder what the DPD could have been thinking when they no doubt looked at this footage of you attacking me and leaping on top of me while I was dressed only in my underwear…”

Groaning in misery, Hank held a hand against his closed eyes, “Shut up, Connor!”

“Headlines would say: ‘Senile ex-Lieutenant of the DPD driven mad with lust and desire thrusts himself upon his android partner in a dark parking lot!’” Connor giggled repeatedly, “one can only wonder what the nature of their relationship is like behind closed doors…”

Slamming a hand down on his desk, Hank pushed his chair back, and finally made up his mind to leave the room. “You duped my ass, Connor,” he spat, “ha-ha, so fucking funny!”

Following him swiftly, Connor grinned at his back, “Want some take-out tonight?”

“Fine,” Hank yelled back, resisting the urge to kick Connor in the face, “but that doesn’t mean I forgive you, dumbass!!”

“You’ll come around eventually, Lieutenant; you always do.”

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Nines eyed himself in the hallway mirror’s glass. His reflection seemed brisk, clean, perfect, and cold, but inside, it was a far cry from how Nines truly felt deep down. Amanda had cleverly picked out and ironed a full set of dark clothes for him which consisted of black jeans, a black high-collar long-sleeve shirt, fresh black gloves, and black boots. He’d questioned her about the boots when she joined him in the hall, and she merely eyed him curiously for a brief moment before breaking out into a smile.

“You’ll have to cross through the ravine and woods behind the mansion, Nines,” she responded coolly as he waited for Gavin to join them as well. “It’s the only way you won’t be detected,” Amanda pointed out as she gently grabbed Gavin and hugged him to her chest.

He held onto her dearly. “I don’t want to go!”

“Shh,” she hushed him, petting on the back as she then reluctantly let him go. “You’re safe with Nines,” she assured as she stroked and caressed his cheeks. “Just put your trust in him, listen to him, and you’ll be fine, Gavin.”

Feeling it was so foolish of her to trust him easily, Nines frowned at the front door, but he didn’t add much else as he unlocked his car door and made his way down the gravelly path towards where he’d parked it.

“Thank you for helping me and feeding me,” he heard Gavin thanking Amanda over his shoulders, “I hope I can come back and visit you again soon…Amanda…”

Stroking his cheek once more, she hugged him one final time. “Please, call me ‘Mother’.”

Gavin trembled against her, but acquiesced. “Thank you, mother.”

As they set off, Gavin sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle while Nines pulled away from the large mansion looming high above them. It was a bright, sunny day, and still quite early in the morning. He knew he wasn’t going to miss the memories of the place, but he still found himself waving ‘goodbye’ to Amanda while she stood by the front door and waved back with a small smile upon her face.

He was never going to come back here ever again; not even if his life depended on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, Hank and Connor are hilarious at times in this XD
> 
> We shall soon more of Amanda down the road as well, so don't worry, she'll be fine!!!


	10. Painting of a Dilemma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn more about Nines' past and upbringing.  
> Tons of mystery!

Nines stopped the car when they’d reached the end of the road. There was simply nowhere else to go, as a large, orange sign bearing the words ‘ROAD CLOSED’ stood before them. It appeared to be the truth, as when Nines leaned his head out the window, he saw that only large hills loomed ahead and beyond this point. They hadn’t been driving for too long, but the silence had weighed heavily on himself and Gavin, so much that they even refused to really acknowledge each other during the length of the ride.

And now, they had to definitely communicate and talk…

Nines wasn’t looking forward to more silly questions, bland storytelling, or just bickering with the young man, but he had no other choice now.

It was time to get walking.

Turning off the engine, Nines gathered all the items they needed in bags and in his pockets, but he only took essential items they really would be needing, and he abandoned the rest. Seated next to him, Gavin woke up out of his small ‘afternoon nap’, and he wiped and rubbed his eyes as he opened them slowly.

Frowning in disbelief when he read the words on the sign, he then turned to Nines. “What the hell??” he groused childishly, “we’re not driving on?”

Nines scowled at him for his display of attitude. “We can’t,” he then pointed up at the hills, and then down beneath, “Amanda said there’s a ravine and some woods we need to go through, and it’s a lot more covert if we keep down below.”

“Ugh,” Gavin protested at the back of his throat, but unbuckled his seat belt as he then opened the passenger door and stepped out. “I don’t wanna walk all this way!” he cried out angrily when he looked down the hill the car was parked on. It was a long, long way down, and many rocks and other objects tumbled and rolled down over the side down below. It made Gavin’s stomach clench nervously, but he wasn’t able to say much else when Nines was already on the move.

Brushing past Gavin, Nines carefully made his way down the hill, pacing his steps as he planted his feet firmly in the more ‘stable’ portions of the grass and mud. Gavin groaned again, but he followed in his footsteps and patterns, breathing in sharply as he held his school bag at his side. His pill bottles shook and rattled every time he moved, and Nines tried ignoring it as they climbed down the dangerous, steep hill.

They could hear the sound of water from the ravine down below, and it alerted Nines to the fact that they were indeed heading in the right direction. Motivated by this, he hurried a little, and Gavin tried picking up the pace to keep up with him. Unfortunately, he lost his footing when he looked up past some thick, heavy branches, and he tripped over his own feet clumsily.

Hands outstretched to find purchase in something solid for support, Gavin cried out in fear when his hands landed over Nines’ strong shoulders. As expected, the tall android hardly budged, and he whipped around when Gavin crashed into his chest. Arms loosely hung around Gavin’s, and as the younger male fought hard to steady his weight on shaky feet, his hands involuntarily wove down past Nines’ sternum, and eventually clutched desperately on the android’s hands. Nines tightened his own grip around Gavin’s hands, and holding the smaller ones in his own, he tilted his head down at Gavin while sighing.

“Clumsy,” he hissed gently, and Gavin blushed as he held himself back a little.

“I’m sorry!” he cried out in mortification, “I just—”

“Just keep up,” Nines barked, and as he turned and took a few more steps down the hill with Gavin’s hand still in his, he carefully stepped over a thick log on the ground. “Watch that,” he warned Gavin, and when the youth lifted his leg up over it, Nines turned back to him and nodded in acceptance.

When he turned back to head down the hill, Nines felt Gavin’s pulse against his hand, and he glared down at their still-joined hands. Sneering, he dropped Gavin’s hand out of his grip, and then made his way back down the hill. Gavin huffed angrily at him for doing that, but he wordlessly followed Nines as they carefully avoided dangerous obstacles nature provided for them in their path.

It wasn’t long before bugs began swarming around Gavin, and later, mosquitoes dove down to attack him aggressively. Gavin slapped them away while cursing, his hands beating around wildly in the air as he swatted the bugs away from himself.

“You’re making a lot of noise!” Nines snapped at him when he’d had enough of Gavin cursing and grunting away at the bugs.

“They’re gonna drain my blood dry!” Gavin argued back, stumbling forward blindly as he ran face-first into a thick pile of leaves hanging from low branches. “UGHH!!” he sputtered and began spitting out the green leaves when some of them had gotten caught up in his mouth. “This is so stupid!!”

Worried that they were going to draw far too much attention so soon, Nines reluctantly found himself reaching out for Gavin. He held onto the young man’s arm, and as he pulled him straight ahead of himself, he allowed the youth to lead the way as he carefully kept his eyes on the path so the younger male wouldn’t trip and fall again.

“Just keep on moving,” Nines instructed, moving the young male out of the way of a sharp and jagged rock pointing up at his legs just in the nick of time.

Before Nines could make a nasty comment about the lack of survival instincts built within Gavin, the youth sighed as he held onto a thin tree stump when they reached a small clearing. They were nowhere near the bottom of the hill, but as Nines peered back over their shoulders, he found that they’d at least made decent progress for a tiny break.

Gavin yanked off his school bag strap, and he tossed it onto a boulder next to him as he sat down and wiped some sweat off his brow with his hands. “I feel like I need a shower,” he complained as he groaned and yanked off his black sweater. Beneath it, he’d been wearing a black band-t-shirt. The name of the band was ‘Amon Amarth’.

Nines snorted at the pathetic display, and he was once again reminded by just how young and sheltered this man really was. “We can’t stay here; I want to cross the ravine before the sun sets, otherwise it’ll get too dark, and we won’t be able to see anything.”

Rolling his eyes, the adolescent tucked his sweater into his school bag. He was definitely taking his time, and it pissed Nines right off. “Just wait a sec, Nines!” Gavin moaned out dramatically as he fanned himself with his arms.

“I’m not waiting on you.”

He heard Gavin whining and groaning in protest, but he didn’t wait. He was already moving along through thick trees, pushing the leaves and branches out of his way, and they unfortunately swung back into Gavin’s eyes and face. He coughed and sputtered, but it wasn’t too long before he growled angrily and kicked a random tree stump.

“Son of a whore!!” Gavin screeched into the air, and Nines whipped around as he cast him a foul look.

He strode right up to Gavin and spat angrily, “What’re you complaining about, _now_??”

Motioning at the leaves, Gavin growled, “I can’t see anything!! They keep whacking me in the face!!”

Wanting this all over and done with already, Nines reached into a pocket, and he withdrew a sharp knife. Handing it over to Gavin, he pointed at a branch with thick leaves. “Just cut away the stuff that’s in your way, but hurry up, for goodness sake!” He then led the way once more, every so often hearing Gavin grunting as he struggled and fought with the leaves, slicing away at them while their feet moved along.

Their shoes crunched down on twigs and other small rocks, but it was peacefully silent for maybe a few minutes before Gavin sighed out, “I’m surprised you gave me a knife, Nines,” he then added in a slight chuckle, “you must trust me, huh?”

“In your dreams, you misbegotten brat!” Nines snapped at him while holding out some branches for Gavin to slice away at. Their path became more and more clear as they wove around thick, tall grass, and Gavin was beginning to really kick up a sweat as his arms swished and moved about the longer he cut.

Truthfully, Nines was still surprised the boy hadn’t fled, or used the knife as a defense mechanism to buy himself time or use it as a distraction to get away from him. Peeking over his shoulder, Nines confirmed that Gavin wasn’t planning his demise; he really _was_ using the knife to only cut leaves and small branches out of his way.

Gavin caught Nines staring at him, and he frowned, and then looked at his knife. “What?”

Nines rolled his eyes, “Nothing.”

They soon moved on again in silence, the sounds of the woods and nature their only companion unless Gavin would alert to Nines that he was struggling while cutting as he grunted and growled every once in a while.

“So,” he began when it had been quiet again, “did you find out who the Zla—err, I mean,” he swallowed, swiftly correcting himself when he remembered Nines’ previous threat, “did you find out who that double was?”

Not wanting to answer the question, Nines remained silent for a long time. It was as though he hadn’t even heard Gavin the first time, so the youth repeated his question. Apparently, he refused to let it go, and he stated the same question over and over again like a broken record. It got under Nines’ skin relatively easily, and he stopped in his tracks abruptly. Gavin slammed into his back, and then groaned as he rubbed his nose and mouth.

Nines merely scoffed at him, raising a brow as he stared the boy down. “Are you through with your interrogation?” he asked coldly, and Gavin merely dropped his arm and shrugged.

“Well excuse me for wanting to start up a conversation!” Gavin roared, causing a few birds chirping nearby on treetops to grow silent immediately, “I just wanted to connect with you in the way you did with me earlier this morning!!”

Squinting at him, Nines was about to spit out that he wasn’t trying to ‘connect’ with Gavin, when the wind blew strongly. Dark clouds were gathering above swiftly in hordes, and Nines stared up at them with concerned eyes. “It’s going to rain heavily soon,” he announced, sensing that they barely had ten minutes to hurry out of the clearing before they were drenched.

Not wanting to waste the little time they had, Nines moved along faster, hoping Gavin would pick up the pace and stop talking. The adolescent seemed annoyed, and he grunted and grumbled as he followed silently. They moved faster and faster down the hill until the sound of running water was growing louder and louder. It made Nines smile a little, and he was even more motivated to end this journey. It wouldn’t take much longer, and the strong gusts of wind blowing about around them didn’t appear to slow them down.

Pointing straight ahead for them, Nines called out, “We’re close to the ravine!”

“Whatever, you murderer,” Gavin snorted, and Nines turned to scowl at him.

“What did you call me?” He’d heard what the youth had said; he just wanted to test and see if Gavin really was that bold and brass after all.

Sticking his chin and chest out in defiance, Gavin stood his ground and didn’t allow Nines to bully and intimidate him. “You heard me; you damn murderer!” Gavin snapped, and Nines felt he’d had just about enough.

Rounding on him quickly, Nines felt his anger flaring up, and he resisted the urge to grab the boy by the shirt collar. “Take that attitude, and—”

Gavin shoved him hard in the chest, “Well you didn’t tell me anything about yourself!” he cried out desperately with a mixture of sadness and resentment in his voice, “how the fuck else do I know who you are?!?”

As the wind picked up, Nines sneered down coldly at the youth. “If you really think I’m a coldblooded murderer, then why are you still alive? Hmm?”

As expected, the boy’s jaw fell open as his eyes filled up with confusion. “I…I d-don’t know!” he then frowned, as if mulling it all over. “You probably are j-just using me for something!”

Leering at him then, Nines gave him a little shove. The boy was too close to his person, suddenly, and he wondered when that had happened. “Such a brazen innocent you are,” Nines hissed at him, “also a foolish, innocent child, no less…”

“Leave me alone!” Gavin suddenly screamed at him, his hands in tight fists as he marched onward. Nines allowed him to continue that way for some time, thankful that Gavin had finally shut the hell up enough to concentrate on their task of getting the heck out of there.

It was still warm as they headed down the hill further, and as Nines finally caught sight of the bubbling brook twenty feet ahead, he let out a happy, relieved sigh. This was a good ‘landmark’, and he felt they could finally rejoice in having made some progress after all.

Gavin was strangely silent, and if Nines didn’t know any better, he’d assume that the boy was up to no good. Trying to determine that for himself, Nines turned around and cocked his head curiously at Gavin. He found the young man to be kicking around some rocks between his feet, as if entertaining himself in a small game of sorts.

Rolling his eyes at the motions Gavin’s feet made, Nines pushed past him. “We have to cross now, before it rains,” he stated obviously, climbing carefully onto a small rock on the edge of the brook, but then stopped when Gavin sighed and plopped down into the bright green, tall grass.

Growling at him in a low warning, Nines moved off the rocks. “Didn’t you hear me, you fiendish child?!”

“Of course I did!” Gavin snapped, “I just need a small break, Nines!!”

“You get three minutes,” Nines spat, already timing the seconds down.

Gavin shrugged and merely moved closer to the edge of the brook. He peered down almost innocently into the water below for a while. As the brook was churning and moving about, it still was rather mild and not a threat. Nines allowed Gavin to lean in closer, and as he peered at his reflection in the dark water, he slowly stuck out a hand and poured some of the clean water over his heated and flushed cheeks.

It took Nines a moment or two to realize that Gavin was washing his sweaty skin with the water…over and over again, the young man poured the water over his cheeks and the back of his neck, patting his hands over his flushed and fevered skin as he sighed in relief. Peering back into the water, he then collected it in both hands while carefully leaning over the edge, and he slowly sipped the cool water.

“Hmmm, so refreshing!!” There was a wide, bright smile upon his face, then, and it looked so odd against the dark clouds that gathered above. It appeared as though nothing bothered Gavin Reed…

Nines was frozen in place as he watched Gavin repeatedly take sips from the brook, and then pat more of his skin with the cold water as he ‘washed’ more sweat off himself. He looked so young, so peaceful, so innocent…

A dark thought suddenly slammed into Nines at full force, and he couldn’t help it or control it. It speared through him like a harpoon in the chest, and he seized up as he nearly fell into the water, himself. He swayed about, but Gavin wasn’t watching; he was still drinking and playing with the water while Nines shook violently. He was unable to take his eyes off Gavin, and it seemed that the longer he stared at the young man, the worse his pain grew. It was almost impossible to bear, now, and Nines nearly screamed out loud. He still held some semblance of control over himself, however, and he forced himself to keep quiet as he was overwhelmed with nothing but pain.

His LED light flashed on and off quickly, and then spun around through all the colors. He had no idea what was going on, and he didn’t have time to even begin understanding. His fingers soon twitched, and the darkness within him began to spread almost at a horrifyingly rapid pace…

Like cancer…

Having no idea what he’d wanted to say, he stared down at Gavin, and he only knew he felt one thing as he looked at the young man:

Nines wanted to kill him.

It was his ‘killer instinct’, as Amanda had always referred to it in the past. She’d stated that the Agency had made sure most of the ‘Moon Children’ and androids had one, but Nines knew his was by far the worst. It was the most insatiable one, and it drove him insane with a burning hunger and need to rip people apart at any chance he got. There was no cure for it; only control, and that all bore down on his training.

He knew he had to try and remember every bit of his training even now, before he lost himself to his bloodthirsty killer instinct and ruined Gavin.

But it would be so, _soooo_ very easy now…he had the boy’s back turned to him, of course, and as there were plenty of rocks scattered about, he could’ve easily picked one up, held it high in the air, and bashed Gavin across the back of the head with it. There wouldn’t be too much blood if he did the deed quickly, and he could toss the boy into the dangerous waters below. His body would wash downstream somewhere, and all traces and evidences would be gone with it…yes…that would be soooo pleasurable!

As he tried taking a step towards the unsuspecting youth, Gavin didn’t seem to hear him at all. The crashing and churning waters of the babbling brook provided a lot of noise, and the clouds and distant rumble of thunder was the perfect ambiance to drown out any further noise.

Nines was in severe pain, and yet he inched closer and closer towards Gavin. His eyes were focused on the back of his skull as he laughed to himself while throwing in little rocks deep within the water. Gavin collected more stones and grass, pouring them into the water below as he sighed a gentle, innocent sigh.

Nines wanted to kill him right then and there…he had to…he needed to!!!

He crept closer, and closer, and closer.

His hands stretched out forward, and he could almost feel Gavin’s silky, dark brown hair now. His fingertips ached for just one touch before he tore the boy apart from limb to limb, and Nines practically dove forward in his mind while imagining all the lovely ways he could bleed Gavin dry…

Suddenly, his LED light turned red, and something akin to the force of an asteroid slammed into his head. His world had gone black, but then, all sorts of interesting colors flew into his eyes. He saw violent shades of red matching his anger. He saw the gloom of blue and grey hues; his saddest days and memories captured within them. He saw earthy greens and browns, reminiscent of the days he’d ventured outside and gotten lost in the woods…

He felt guilt. He felt fear. He felt pain. He felt anxiety. He felt hope. He felt loss. He felt nothing…

Unsure of where he was, Nines stood frozen while imagining himself murdering and slaughtering Gavin in at least a thousand different ways. Each of them promised new pleasures, and he didn’t even move as he closed his eyes and just felt things spinning out of his control.

@@~~@@xx~~@@

**_He was running through the thick woods with at least twenty other androids behind him in line. Their boots lifted off the ground and slammed back down into the dirt simultaneously as they moved as though they were one connected unit._ **

**_He was always a leader, and he merely ran faster as he held up a hand and indicated that they were approaching the mansion._ **

**_Amanda was waiting for them outside by the front door, and she grinned a dark grin as Nines approached steadily. She always stood by to greet them after their morning routine and two hour long run._ **

**_They halted as soon as the large, heavy gates opened automatically, and Nines screamed at them to get in line before they finished their routine. Obediently, they all lined up in a single-file line with their hands at their sides. They were at ease, like good little soldiers as they waited for Amanda to greet them._ **

**_She had her hair up in a thick ponytail, the dreadlocks weaving around as they held the rest of her coarse hair together up tightly. Beaming at him, she laid a hand upon his shoulder and told him she was very proud of him…of them all…_ **

**_Her words mildly pleased him, but they had other things to attend to for the time being. Leading his group inside the large abode, Nines watched as they all scattered to their rooms. They had to clean everything out and keep the rooms tidy and neat as always. The Agency was due for a visit, and they would send in a special operative agent to check in on the androids as per the routine. Once every other week, the special agent would show up and report back to the Agency on their training and progress. It was always a stressful time for Nines, as his future and livelihood always depended on how his team carried out their orders and behaved…if they made one error, he would be marked as ‘obsolete’, and his life would come to an abrupt end._ **

**_Only the Agency had the right to take life and give it to those worthy of it, and Nines was going to fight for his right to live. If there was ever a more worthy soldier, he was the one._ **

**_Quickly pacing down the crowded second floor hallways, he stuck his head inside every room on the left side of the hall, and then over across to the right. Everything had been orderly and spotless…right up until he reached the second-last room on the right._ **

**_Pausing before this door, he read the room number 13 upon it, and he sneered. Of course. It was always this room, as it housed the rowdiest of the androids within it. The Agency had no issue with deviant model androids per se, as long as they knew how to control their powers. That had been the greatest challenge even for Nines, and he knew he was going to have to work hard on learning that skill before his time in the mansion came to an end. His final ‘exams’ and ‘tests’ were drawing closer and closer, and it was only a matter of weeks before the Agency came to collect him and test out his skills. Much would be the same for all the androids, however, Nines knew everyone depended on him._ **

**_He’d been the first android placed in Amanda’s care, and the newest model, strangely. He drew attention no matter where he went, and he had a lot of responsibilities ahead of himself. One of those responsibilities currently weighed and rested heavily on the fact that the androids in room 13 hadn’t cleaned up, nor had they actually made up the beds…_ **

**_Entering the room swiftly like a shadow, Nines moved inside, and he glared at the androids as they scrambled at the last minute to stand at their bedsides in a statuesque manner. They all stood rigidly, staring blankly ahead and at attention. However way they wanted to pretend nothing was amiss, Nines knew something was terribly out of place in the bright room._ **

**_One of these androids had rebelled, and he was going to find out who the slacker was._ **

**_Moving along the rows of beds and androids, Nines smirked at each and every one of them equally. “You were set on a task,” he drawled with confidence and in such a tone that demanded attention, “and yet one of you failed to complete the task…” he shook his head, then, “tsk, tsk, tsk, I wonder who it was…”_ **

**_He’d been close to sniffing out the rebel as he stood by the last bed on the left side of the room. An android almost as tall as himself named Thadius, a headstrong CT500 model was glaring away at him. Stepping closer to the raven-haired android with light freckles and a tan complexion, Nines scanned him hurriedly._ **

**_“Thadius,” he whispered his name with a grin, “are you prepared for a visit from the Agency?” He was specifically looking for one thing, and he had an idea that if anything, Thadius wouldn’t let him down at all in his quest._ **

**_Standing firmly still, Thadius didn’t even meet his eyes, not even when Nines stood half an inch away from him._ **

**_“Come on, Thadius,” he teased, “surely you must feel something…”_ **

**_A second later, Thadius’ eyeballs turned over to gaze directly into his own. The two androids stood before each other silently, engaged already in a mental battle of wits. Nines loomed over him, grinning coldly, and Thadius held his gaze while the other androids in the room stared on. They were all no doubt anticipating what was going to happen next, but Nines was a very patient creature. He knew that sooner or later, Thadius was going to break down, and he loved that he was there to witness it firsthand._ **

**_Finally, after an eternity of exchanging cold glares, Thadius did the unthinkable; he blinked. It was more like a half-blink, as his eyelashes barely fluttered even for a split second. Nines caught it immediately, and he knew he had his ‘man’. Without even so much as hesitating for a second, his long arms wrapped around Thadius’ neck, and he yanked the android down roughly._ **

**_Thadius put up a fight, but Nines had him a tight chokehold. The others looked on in fear and worry, but this had to be done. They knew fully well that if they got involved, their own punishments would soon follow, and Nines wouldn’t be merciful._ **

**_Bearing his weight down violently on Thadius, Nines shoved him down to his knees while both their LED lights were bright red. “If there’s one thing you never learned to be, Thadius, it’s a good leader,” Nines hissed into his ear with a grin, “that’s what the difference between you and I happens to be…” Tightening his grip on the shorter android, Nines shoved him down to the floor, and then released him. Kicking him in the back violently, he sneered in pleasure as Thadius fell down flatly with a heavy and resounding ‘thud’._ **

**_Standing tall to address the others, Nines snorted at them, and then spun around on his heels to leave. “Make sure the beds are perfectly made,” he instructed as he barked out the words loudly, “I’ll be back to check on you—”_ **

**_His audio receptors heard the swish of a knife before Thadius even drew it out of his uniform pocket. Of course he’d been expecting it, however, he still felt his anger spike up when Thadius thought he was so bold and clever to be able to take him on._ **

**_The other android thought he’d been stealthy, and he flung himself at Nines with a snarl. The taller and stealthier android had been prepared for it, however, and he snaked an arm around Thadius’ waist when he spun himself around, and then swiftly kicked him in the sternum. Thadius sailed backwards, and as he was in the middle of the air, Nines kicked him one more time. Crashing down violently a few feet away, the android smashed against a wall, where his LED light blinked off for a second._ **

**_Smirking at his abilities, Nines crept up towards the fallen Thadius, and as the other androids looked on in worry and fear, Nines yanked Thadius up. Staring into his eyes with a cold grin, Nines whispered only to Thadius, “A true agent should know the difference between opportunity and dignity.” He then let Thadius go, and as the android’s body thumped to the floor, Nines was already preparing to deliver a charged blow that would no doubt cause Thadius serious damage._ **

**_Suddenly, someone cleared their throat loudly, and as Nines spun around, he saw Amanda lingering in the doorway of the room with her arms folded in front of herself. She had changed into a purple and pink silk colored and styled Kimono. However lovely and colorful her clothing and apparel was, she was livid as she glared at Nines._ **

**_The android merely frowned at her before standing to attention, and he waited until she stared down at Thadius, and then over back at Nines._ **

**_“You must learn to control your killer instinct, my son,” her voice ghosted over to him from the doorway, and Nines squinted in confusion at her. She paced up to him and laid a hand over his shoulder protectively, almost. “If you forget who you are, my child, then there’s no hope for you, and you’ll be lost forever…” turning to the rest of the androids, she held her head high as she addressed them all. “Control your instincts, no matter how strongly you feel about them. At the end, we’re all a bunch of rancid beasts, and there’s nothing more that’s left for us in this world if we’re without humanity and honor.”_ **

**_They all bowed their heads as she walked back out of the room slowly, and as her back disappeared from his view, Nines felt his head about to explode once again…the pain was so severe and intense…it was blinding!!!_ **

He screamed as he leapt away from Gavin, and the young man yelped vicariously in fear as he turned and stared over at Nines. The tall android was inches behind him, and as he tried recovering from the intrusive, brazen, painful memory that had come from nowhere, Gavin approached him with concern evident in his wide eyes.

“Nines?”

Unable to stand how innocent that tone was, Nines held a hand over his eyes as he drastically stepped away from Gavin. Unfortunately, the young man kept advancing with growing amounts of concern.

“Nines? What’s wrong?”

He just couldn’t take hearing another word out of Gavin. It would surely be his own undoing…

Throwing his head back, Nines screamed out at the skies above, “STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!”

As expected, Gavin turned pale, and he backed away from Nines immediately. “What happened?!?”

Nines hadn’t been expecting Gavin to throw out the questions, however, and as the young man repeated them all once more, Nines lunged forth at him, and he grabbed him tightly and firmly by the collar.

“Are you hard of hearing, boy?” he spat coldly as he pulled the boy away from the rocks and babbling waters, “I said get out of here, and run away while you still can!!”

Shaking his head stubbornly, Gavin displayed refusal to obey and heed his warnings, and Nines felt his anger shooting up through his spine and into his head. He closed his eyes as he willed himself to remain calm, though control was easily slipping through his fingers the longer Gavin was before him. “I said leave, NOW!!”

“But I—”

Roaring like a wild, untamed beast, Nines latched onto Gavin’s shoulders tightly, and he then gave the young man a mighty shove. In his wild and reckless state of mind, Nines didn’t comprehend that he’d literally flung Gavin off the edge of the ravine, and he’d thrown him into the quick-moving waters. Gavin landed in with a loud ‘splash’, and only in the moment he swam up to the surface screaming and crying out for help did Nines realize what he’d done.

He saw Gavin’s lithe and lanky body being pushed and carried down the stream as the rain finally started, and the water levels rose. It was too dangerous now, and Gavin realized it. He screamed ‘help’ from the top of his lungs as he nearly was slammed into jagged and sharp rocks and boulders peeking out from the surface and at odd angles in the brook. Thunder and lightning soon crashed high above as the sky grew menacingly darker, but that wasn’t going to stop Nines.

This entire thing was his own mess, and he was at fault. He had to right this wrong!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he dove in after Gavin.

Cold water surrounded and practically pushed him down, but Nines fought well and hard. He kept his head above the surface, swimming with a fury as he kept his eyes on Gavin. Rain beat down over his head, but he hurried as he fought against the violent currents until he saw Gavin’s hand stretched out towards his.

“NINES!!!” Water splashed into his mouth and face, and as Gavin coughed and sputtered, Nines dove forward with all the power he had in his back legs.

He yanked a hand around Gavin’s waist for a moment, but then the current pulled them apart. Nines struggled even more as he cried out, “GIVE ME YOUR HAND!!!”

Nines saw Gavin exerting himself as he lifted his hand towards him, and Nines peddled himself forward while also getting out of the way of a thick log resting against a sharp, dark boulder. It nearly hit him along the way, but he turned himself to the side right on time and made it around the sharp and dangerous object. He had to get Gavin, NOW.

Focusing on that as his goal, Nines fought with every bit of power he had within him. The water seemed to want to drain him of his energy, but he pushed past it while never taking his eyes off Gavin. The young boy was a fighter himself, even; constantly leaping up to take in mouthfuls of oxygen before his head was pushed back down in the water.

As they moved down the riverbank further, Nines saw a bunch of rocks all lined up in a row. Gavin’s back was towards them, but in less than thirty seconds at best, he’d be bashed against them. It terrified Nines to even think of that, and he screamed in terror as he stepped down hard on a sunken log and used it to propel himself strongly forward. The boost had helped, and Nines felt Gavin’s soft flesh against his hands deep in the water.

“Gavin!! I got you!!” Yanking the boy closer to his body, Nines gathered him to his chest, and Gavin kept his head above the water as he coughed and wheezed. He was trembling, and Nines fought hard as he swam with one hand guiding himself towards the edge of the riverbank.

His priority was to get Gavin safely out of the water, before the boy froze. As soon as he’d felt dirt and earth on his fingers as he clawed upwards along the edge of the riverbank, Nines hoisted and heaved Gavin as hard as he could up and over onto the grass and soil. Gavin climbed up the rest of the way on his own, and Nines drew himself out of the water as he then dropped himself down onto the grass next to Gavin.

For many long minutes, they lay next to each other on their backs, and Nines was listening to how heavily Gavin was panting and breathing. He whimpered every once in a while, but his whimpers died down eventually when he caught his breath.

Nines checked to see whether he was okay or not. He grabbed Gavin’s wrist, feeling for his pulse, and then he slowly scanned him to double-check. Gavin was thankfully going to be just fine.

Sighing in relief, Nines let his eyes shut for half a second, just to regain some stamina.

He felt shifting next to him, but thinking it was just Gavin adjusting himself to turn over or get into another position, he kept his eyes closed.

The rain had died down a lot, though it still drizzled down gently on them as they lay still in the tall, green grass. All sounds of nature had died down, save for the babbling of the brook, the rippling of the ice-cold waters, and the wind howling in the distance past thick trees. It was enough to send anyone to a peaceful rest, but Nines didn’t have time for that. They still were in danger the longer they remained out in the open.

Wanting to pass this information along to Gavin in the gentlest ways of a warning, the android mulled the beginnings of his sentence over. Suddenly, Nines heard shifting again, and this time, Gavin was definitely up and moving.

Before Nines could do anything, he suddenly felt a warm weight upon his own body. His eyes snapped open in a hurry, but there was only a split nanosecond of time that elapsed when he felt the pressure of lips over his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FECK!  
> GAVIN!  
> CHILL YOURSELF!


	11. Shadows of Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slowly pokes head out of hiding hole*
> 
> Shit, hope the coast is clear O.o
> 
> Just wanted to post this because it's been well over a week and half.

It hadn’t been a dream or a fabrication; Gavin Reed was currently lying on top of him and pressing soft kisses onto his lips. The youth’s lips were so terribly cold, that Nines initially suspected that the younger male was only doing this in the hopes of trying to get warm. However, it was when Gavin’s lips moved over his own, and a small tongue pressed against the seam of his lips that Nines decided it wasn’t the case at all.

Throwing Gavin off himself roughly by rolling his body over to the side, Nines snarled as he crept away from the young man. Nines was furious, confused, and simply outraged by Gavin’s actions. He had no idea where to start in terms of asking what had happened, but when Gavin looked down in sadness, Nines felt his anger flare up again. Now he was ashamed of himself?? Of all times…

“Why did you kiss me?!”

The soft patter of rain was his response for some time until Gavin decided to sit up and run his hands through his soaked hair. He shook his head back and forth like a little wet puppy, the water droplets bouncing off his head as he shivered.

Nines scowled at him, “Are you going to answer me?”

Letting out a tiny sigh, Gavin placed his hands down on the grass while still shivering violently. Not even looking at Nines, he whispered in a weak, shaky breath, “I just…I w-wanted t-to th-thank you f-for s-saving my l-l-life.”

Snorting, Nines scooted back, desperate to create some distance between his own body and Gavin’s, just in case the boy decided to do something crazy again. He eyed Gavin with caution, “Is that right?” he chuckled, “do you usually thank people in the same manner whenever they do something special for you, then?”

It was Gavin’s turn to scowl. “Th-that’s n-not how I a-a-am!!” he shrieked vehemently, trying to portray that he was tough and unaffected, despite the cold. His fingertips were turning slightly blue, and he wrapped his arms around himself while trembling more and more as the rain poured down over them steadily. The clouds were moving away from each other gradually, indicating the storm was coming close to an end, but Nines knew they couldn’t linger here for too long; not with the way Gavin was shivering and shaking.

His face was beyond white, and even his lips were turning a weird, blue color. Nines began to worry, and he scanned the areas surrounding them hurriedly.

“M-my b-bag,” Gavin groaned, “I d-d-dropped it ov-v-ver—”

“We’ll find it,” Nines assured him, relieved to see that just South of the area they were in was an empty cabin with a fireplace. Of course!! Amanda had suggested for them to take this route on purpose, and as it all suddenly occurred to him, he mentally thanked the wise woman for planning ahead and guiding them towards a path that ensured safety, shelter, and was easier to handle for Gavin’s sake.

Perfect.

Standing up slowly, Nines looked back down at Gavin, and a few times, he had to stop himself from reaching down to help Gavin get up. The younger male wasn’t incapable of the task on his own, after all! He was in fact already grasping at the earth and rocks as he stood up on shaky legs, looking around for where his bag had been tossed.

Feeling guiltier about what he’d done, Nines gave the trembling boy an apologetic look, but Gavin didn’t seem to notice it. He searched around aimlessly until Nines pointed up the stream along the dirt paths. “It’s further up,” he announced dully, and Gavin merely dragged his feet along as he turned to follow closely behind Nines.

Leading the way silently, Nines eventually was able to relocate Gavin’s school bag. It’d been unceremoniously dumped in between thick bushes and tall blades of grass, but it hung around a few tiny branches by the strap. Unhooking it from the branches, Nines turned to hand Gavin his bag, when the younger male accidentally knocked into him due to standing so close. Gavin fell back against a sharp cactus-like plant, and he screeched horribly as he held his injured body.

“OUCH!!!” he turned and kicked the plant swiftly, “that plant stung me!!”

Nines merely rolled his eyes, “Well that might be because of the spikes on it, Gavin.”

Teeth clattering together due to the growing coldness stirring with his body, Gavin sighed, “Ha-ha, you’re a real l-laugh!”

“I wasn’t aiming to be funny,” Nines groused, picking up the pace once Gavin grabbed his school bag and seemed to be ready to move on. Holding his head up high, Nines turned in the opposite direction, and he began leading the way through the heavy bushes and foliage while Gavin shivered and moaned in discomfort. His pathetic moans and groans soon got the better of Nines, and the deadly Agent turned around and glared at Gavin until the young man stopped in his tracks.

“Wh-whaaaat???” he hissed out childishly, and Nines shook his head at him.

“Seriously, I have to wonder how you made it to a place of higher education if you’re acting so ridiculous all the time,” Nines judged harshly, wagging a finger in the direction they had to continue in.

Gavin didn’t find that amusing, and he turned a little pink. “I’m n-not a d-dog!!” he cried out in disdain when Nines whistled for him to head on down the little slope they’d approached, now. Paying him no mind, Nines continued on, only stopping when he saw the tiny stone pathway leading up to the tiny wooden porch of the small cabin that was often used for respite.

Amanda had long since discovered the cabin, often encouraging her children to make use of it should they ever find themselves in quite the bind…well, as it were, this applied to his situation, and Nines felt relief sweeping into him as he crept up towards the heavy wooden door.

Losing himself to a shivering fit behind him, Gavin snorted. “P-pretty sure it’s-s-s l-locked!”

“Of course it is!” Nines sneered, leaning up on his toes as he felt his way along the door frame, and then snatched the hidden key in the tiny crevice in between the old wood of the cabin. They key had always been tucked away there, and as he pulled it out before Gavin, the adolescent rolled his eyes.

“Screw you!”

“Hmf!” Nines ignored the rudeness, he unlocked the door, and then pushed it open. It groaned loudly, but otherwise still possessed hinges in good, proper working condition. Nines and Gavin stepped inside the dark cabin, where they immediately found a small lantern-meant for decoration purposes only-posed on a square table. Next to it sat a small flowerpot, but no flowers were currently growing within it.

Despite being dark all around, the cabin smelled clean, earthy, and was very warm inside. A large fireplace was directly across from the hallway by the door, and Gavin gasped as he dashed towards it desperately. He flung himself down before it, clawing at the unkindled wood and hearth. Turning back to peek over his shoulder at Nines, Gavin’s wide eyes begged and pleaded.

“T-turn the f-f-fireplace on!!”

Nines obeyed, checking if enough firewood was in the hearth before grabbing an old matchbox from the top shelf hanging on the wall above the fireplace. There’d always been fuel and oil, and he lit the match, tossing it into the fireplace swiftly as he stood by and watched as Gavin held out both hands practically over the roaring flames. He let out plenty of relieved sighs when the warmth of the fire seeped in through his bones, and he tilted his head back as he tried lying down in a comfortable position.

Eyeing Gavin sliding himself along the cold, hardwood floor, Nines grabbed a tiny pillow and blanket off a rocking chair close to the fireplace, and he threw the items down at Gavin. They bounced off his back, and Nines smirked. “Here,” he spat forward as Gavin turned around to grab the soft items to his chest.

“Th-thanks,” Gavin laid out the pillow and the blanket over himself, shaking still as he turned around a few times until he was in a comfortable position directly in front of the fire. The flames and wood cracked and popped loudly, and Nines decided it was rather soothing and calming to look at and listen to.

Choosing to immerse himself in the ambiance and warm glows the fire gave off, he sat himself down in the rocking chair and leaned back into it. His long legs rested on the floor, and the chair creaked lightly while Nines steadied it.

“I h-hate staying in wet clothes!” Gavin complained while shivering violently still, and Nines merely nodded at his turned back.

“You’ll be dry in no time,” Nines promised him with a small grin, “focus on staying by the fire, and don’t think of how cold and uncomfortable your clothes may be.”

“Okay,” Gavin acquiesced, shaking as he curled himself into a fetal position and trembled, nonetheless. Nines watched on from his seat in the rocking chair. His blue eyes swept over Gavin’s frame a few times in amusement before he held a hand beneath his chin. After studying the boy intently for a few more minutes, Nines cleared his throat, indicating that he wanted to speak.

He could tell Gavin was listening; his shoulders moved up and down less, and he wasn’t making as much of a sound. Patience was key, and Nines grinned when he knew he’d won.

“Now that we’re out of the rain,” Nines began in a warm and mysterious tone, “why don’t you explain to me what possessed you back there to be bold enough to kiss me?”

It was a question Gavin obviously wanted to avoid answering, and Nines already knew that. He saw the obvious body language of contempt and distaste being thrown his way from Gavin as the young man hissed under his breath and inched closer to the fire.

Patience was still his most practiced and most skilled art, and Nines had long since mastered it. He was willing to wait for hours on end if he had to; either way, he would have his answer.

Gavin eventually muttered something, but Nines had been focused on his own thoughts and amusement, that he’d missed out on what it was. Leaning forward in his chair, he smirked at Gavin’s turned back. “Do repeat that, please,” he encouraged with a gentle tone. It was difficult to keep the curiosity out of it all, even though it was at best quite petty and childish of him as well. He was after all an Agent, and he had no business and no place entertaining the whims of a precocious adolescent. This was very ‘unbecoming’ of him to even chase down, but Nines felt he could kill time, and he even convinced himself that Gavin needed a distraction from the cold.

Raising the volume of his voice just so the younger male could hear him properly, Nines snickered, “What were you just whispering to yourself there, Gavin?”

“I’m so behind in class,” Gavin whispered quickly while trembling, “our first exam is coming up, and I don’t even have my notes to study…”

Nines didn’t want to admit it, but he found himself actually admiring this young boy a lot more than he perhaps should have. But why? Was it because of Gavin’s fighting spirit? Was it because he was set on deflecting the real topic and issue at hand that he even risked looking silly? Was it because of his denial regarding the reality of the situation?

It had to be all of them.

Gavin Reed reminded Nines of himself.

Wanting to stray away from that old recognition and familiarity, Nines studied Gavin closely, allowing his eyes to sweep around his blanketed form.

“I can’t f-fail classes a-already!” Gavin cried out in worry and fear, and Nines grinned at his innocent concerns. Sure, the boy had good priorities, but to weigh them over the current situation he was in? Rather odd.

Leaning forward in his rocking chair, Nines tried staying as silent as possible as he drew closer to Gavin. The fire danced ahead in the fireplace, and an almost supernatural and ethereal glow surrounded Gavin as he lay on his side. His shivering had decreased in the silent ten or so minutes that had etched by, and Nines was working hard on ensuring that his weight wouldn’t make the wooden rocking chair squeak. He didn’t want Gavin turning around while he lowered himself down to the small grey rug beneath the chair.

Gavin repeatedly muttered to himself, and Nines caught a few strange sentences and words as he crept closer and closer towards the young boy’s turned back.

“I’m so screwed,” he whispered to himself, “I c-can’t…God…I want to g-go home…”

Finally facing Gavin’s back and neck, Nines smiled down at the youth. He was so close to Gavin that he could almost see the dewy drops of water persistently clinging to the hairs on the back of his neck. Nines wondered for a split second what the young man smelled like, but then he shook that thought out of his mind and system when he remembered Gavin’s kiss.

Why were humans so complicated??? Such odd creatures they were indeed. Always doing things on a whim based on their emotions rather than logical thought.

Lifting an eyebrow, Nines whispered, “I thought you were interested in Heather?”

“I a-am!” Gavin shivered out as he tugged and wrapped the blanket around himself tighter.

Smirking at the sight of him curled up like that, Nines said, “You look like a little maggot all cocooned in your blanket that way.”

The vitriolic and expected answer soon came back angrily out of the younger male. “D-don’t call me a maggot, you asshole!!”

Beaming at him, Nines chuckled. He just couldn’t get angry with Gavin, even though the young man had cursed him and sworn at him on multiple occasions. Something had to have changed within himself for this, but whatever it was, Nines didn’t want to analyze it or understand it for the time being. He merely wanted to draw out his teasing of the young man before the fire, and he knew he was going to thoroughly enjoy making the young thing so uncomfortable.

Staring at his trembling figure, Nines grinned. “Would you say you’re ‘curious’ about who you are and what you prefer, then?”

Gavin let out a tiny, pained groan. “Do we _have_ to talk about this _now_??”

No.

“Yes.”

Gavin groaned again. “My sexual preferences aren’t any of your business!”

“I feel they are, especially when you’re trying to stick your tongue in my mouth,” Nines pointed out cleverly, and Gavin then huffed as he finally turned around and glared at the android.

His expression softened, suddenly, and he gasped, “Shit…how’d you get so close?”

Nines only grinned impishly, “It’s kind of what I do for a living; creeping up on unsuspecting things and then attacking them, you know.”

“Well stop it!” Gavin snapped, “and stop talking about the kiss and the tongue!!!”

Sighing, Nines shook his head in disagreement. “Don’t be so stubborn, you brat,” he joked mildly, “can’t you just be man enough to admit that you were insisting on kissing me with your—”

Pointing a finger at Nines from beneath the blanket, Gavin yelled, “That _never_ happened, you pervert!!” His cheeks turned even more pink, and Nines knew it wasn’t just from the heat of the fire alone.

Smirking, Nines stared up at the ceiling as he hummed deeply. It was a rich, baritone sound, and Gavin swallowed nervously as he closely watched Nines. “I do indeed recall a little wet tongue trying to pry my mouth open, Gavin…” he chuckled as he winked down at Gavin on the floor, “…a fruitless effort, nevertheless, but I commend you for trying!”

“Oh fuck off,” Gavin snapped, hiding his hands beneath the blanket once more, “at least I know how wonderful making out can be, you frigid mountain of walking bolts and wires!”

Ignoring the insults, Nines smirked confidently. “I am curious though,” he began in a little snippy tone, “are you using me to figure out who you are and what you want?” He then gasped-a little over dramatically-as he held a hand against his chest, “That’s very hurtful, Gavin!!”

Scowling angrily, Gavin shook his head. “I’m n-not like that!” he argued emotionally as his eyebrows tightened and furrowed, “I’ve never u-used anyone, and I n-never would! Ever!!”

“So why did you kiss me?” He hated repeating himself, but Nines vowed to be more patient with Gavin. It was an obvious fact now that the young man wasn’t as skilled in the art of psychological banter and games as Nines himself happened to be, and he was going to be extremely patient while trying to figure out this young one before himself.

Gavin turned away from him as he stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, and then rubbed them softly while shaking his head back and forth. “I fuckin’ regret it, okay?” he cried out in almost a sob, “I’m apologizin’, if that’s wh-what you want from me!”

Interesting.

So it appeared that the topic of this kiss was naturally associated with regret and displeasure? Did Gavin really feel and believe that he’d been upset with him for the kiss? Perhaps he hadn’t enjoyed it himself after all…

“By the way,” Gavin snorted with attitude, “human sexuality isn’t as simplistic as you make it sound, dumbass.”

Nines beamed at him with pride, even though he’d cussed him out again. “Oh?” he purred as he leaned down by Gavin’s side, “do tell me more about that…”

For a brief moment, Gavin glared at him, and Nines worried that he’d truly been wrong about the young man and offended him. If Gavin was going to close off to him, then he’d already lost the game before it’d even begun. He didn’t like losing, and he sneered as though Gavin’s mind was already made up. The younger male turned a little white as he shivered. Nines still held out some hope that Gavin would open up to him, and in no time, the young man didn’t disappoint.

Inching closer to Nines, Gavin winced when he lowered his head and it rested directly on the hardwood floor. His temple had been pressed against the hard floor, and it no doubt caused him pain. The comforts the pillow provided seemed to have been forgotten as Gavin inched his body closer to Nines’.

As he unsuccessfully tried finding the ‘softest’ position, Nines grew weary of all the fidgeting and pained expressions. Grabbing his own overcoat, he unbuttoned it, grabbed the thin pillow nearby, wrapped his overcoat around it, and then crumpled it into a little ball as he lowered the pillow with extra padding before Gavin’s head.

“Here,” he motioned for Gavin to lift his head up so he could slide the little ‘pillow and extra’ beneath his head. Gavin knew what to do immediately, and offering Nines a tiny smile, he lifted his head up slightly. Now that he’d made enough room for the ‘pillow’, Nines shifted it and moved it perfectly beneath his head.

Gavin tested it out as he got comfortable, and he smiled directly at Nines now that the ‘bigger and thicker’ pillow had been wonderfully placed beneath his head. It also elevated Gavin’s head so he could look at Nines without hurting and craning his neck a lot. He appreciated it, and he gave Nines a small ‘thumbs up’ gesture.

The android merely stared down blankly at Gavin until the younger male felt a little uncomfortable. Nines eventually raised a brow, indicating that Gavin still had to continue answering his question.

Gavin merely rolled his eyes. “I don’t think people are 100% straight or 100% homosexual,” he explained as he stared at the floor rather than at Nines. Normally, Nines would’ve found this horribly rude and in poor taste, but he knew he was developing something of a ‘soft spot’ for Gavin as of late, and the young man was beginning to get away with a lot more than what Nines deemed ‘normal’.

Tilting his head curiously at the young man, Nines was all ears as he listened intently to what Gavin had to say. It was odd; he never wanted Gavin to stop talking…

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Hank played back the same security footage for what felt like the fiftieth time that evening. He’d viewed it so many times that he felt it was beyond redundant, now; he had memorized it forwards and backwards. As much as he despised repetition, he felt as though all the answers were somehow in the security footage. He zoomed in at random angles as the footage that had been sent to him had captured four various angles of the parking lot. Hank had studied all of them closely for nearly two hours when Connor opened his office door and strolled in.

The RK800 paused in his tracks when he saw Hank leaning into the laptop screen, and Connor then rolled his eyes and shook his head. Folding his arms over his chest, he stood right beside Hank, simply staring down at him while he remained fixated on the screen.

“Ahem,” Connor cleared his throat, hoping to get Hank’s attention, finally. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and the Lieutenant merely squinted even harder at the screen.

“Hank?”

……………

That hadn’t worked, either.

Connor cleared his throat again, and when Hank still refused to look away from the screen, Connor leaned over him, and he pinched the tip of his nose.

“GRRAAAGG!!”

That did the trick.

While Hank batted Connor’s hand off his nose, the android grinned smugly. Hank caught the look and pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Don’t look so proud of your own bullshit, Connor,” he growled like a grumpy bear, “you broke my concentration!”

Waving at the screen, Connor groused, “Well you were transfixed here for so long, Lieutenant, that you were hardly even doing anything else!”

“I have to get to the bottom of this, Connor!” Hank argued, feeling his back straining and aching, which was a good reminder for him that he’d indeed been sitting for far too long. He stretched upwards a little, still glaring away at Connor the entire time while the tall android shook his head in disapproval at him.

“You can shake your head all you want, Connor,” he grumbled, “but the facts are that I truly believe there’s something here in this footage that we’re missing!!”

Connor stared for a moment at the screen, as if wanting to quickly dispel that theory. He closed his eyes after a moment, LED light red, as his impatience wore off. “Hank,” he began in a weary tone, “you need to take care of yourself first, otherwise we won’t make any progress at all in this case.”

“I’m not gonna take a break, Connor,” the stubborn older male growled between clenched teeth, his jaw tightening as he glared back at the screen.

“It’s almost one in the morning, Lieutenant,” Connor pointed out, tapping his finger against the bottom right-hand corner of the laptop screen where the time was presented. Hank merely shrugged it off as he pressed the right arrow key on the keyboard and loaded up another angle on the security footage.

Hank’s refusal to shut off the laptop and prepare for bed seemed to really get through to Connor in a negative way, and he sighed and kicked a leg mildly at the foot of the desk. The laptop jiggled on the surface of the table a little, and Hank leaned back in his chair as he took off his glasses and glared openly at Connor.

“Do you fuckin’ mind?” he spat, “I promise I’ll go to bed later, Connor, but just give me a—” as he went to the next angle, Connor stared at the screen briefly, and then his jaw dropped wide open.

“Hank! WAIT!!!” he lunged forward at the desk, pushing Hank’s hands out of the way as he zoomed in on the footage in the frozen spot it was loading on. As the image blew up, it cleared up significantly, and when Hank and Connor both studied it carefully, Connor gasped as he pointed at a specific part of the screen. On the lower left-hand corner between a black SUV and a deep blue truck was a round, bulbous head. They’d both missed it, first, but when Connor zoomed in on the footage more and then pressed a button that took away the blurriness from the footage, they both were able to see it clear as day.

It indeed was the head of a male figure, though they were unable to tell whether it was an android or not due to the fact that the mysterious figure had their back turned towards the camera. They were knelt between the cars, and staring intently up ahead…no doubt at Hank and Connor as they’d previously squabbled…no, the timer on the footage actually indicated that this had taken place right when the Connor imposter snuck into the DPD…but who was this!?

Aside from the individual’s gender, it was difficult to make anything else out about their physical features. They were however wearing a black sweatshirt, dark shorts, and had their arms resting up on the sides of the vehicle they were squatting behind. They weren’t wearing gloves, however, and as Connor turned the frozen image around and viewed it from a 90-degree angle, his voice choked in his throat.

“L-look!” he stammered as he tapped at the figure’s forearm, and when Hank squinted and got up real close to the screen so that the tip of his nose was pressed against it, he took cried out in utter shock.

The mysterious man had the shape of a crescent mark etched into his skin…

Leaning away from the screen, Hank shook his head back and forth. “Dear god,” he practically moaned in terror, “I’ve seen that somewhere before…that shape…I swear I’ve seen it…”

As he closed his eyes and thought back to when he might’ve seen it, he was taken back to the coroner’s office and lab…yes, he remembered when Arthur had tucked the arm of the corpse back beneath the sheet, and when he’d moved the limb, Hank had seen that odd mark lingering there. He’d at first assumed it was a silly tattoo of some kind, but it didn’t appear to be a tattoo someone could get from a tattoo artist…no, this looked to be personally etched into the skin…

Glaring away at the screen even now, Hank felt surer of his theories and suspicions as he studied the mark for a long, long time. Apparently, he’d been too quiet for comfort, and Connor sighed as he stared back and forth between Hank and at his screen.

“Do you think it’s important?” Connor asked the million-dollar question finally, and Hank squinted away at the screen until his eyes burned and watered.

Finally, he blinked. “Of course it is.”

That night, Hank Anderson hardly slept, and when he did, the mysterious man’s image constantly came to his mind and even visited him in his dreams. He knew it would haunt him until he found out who the man was, and why he had been there in the DPD parking lot simply watching…

Or was he there to do more than simply watching?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MOAR MYSTERIEEEEEZZZZ 👀👀


	12. A Necessary Condition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nines and Gavin are getting closer and closer...things spice up!! 🔥🔥💞  
> .......  
> And then they turn therapeutic.

Nines stared up at the ceiling as he lay on his back upon the floor right next to Gavin. They were literally side-by-side and both stared up at the dark ceiling as the fire roared higher and stronger before them. It was unbearably hot now, but Gavin basked in it as he stretched his arms above his head and yawned. There were tiny, dark circles forming under his eyes, and Nines recognized it as a sign of poor sleeping habits.

Snickering in amusement, Nines softly spoke out, “I think you should get some sleep now, don’t you think?”

“You’re not my dad, Nines,” Gavin argued immediately, though his eyes remained up on the ceiling in fascination, “I’m not tired yet.”

“Stubborn,” Nines pointed out, and he turned to the side and stared at Gavin, “why must everything be a battle with you, hmm?”

A lazy shrug came out of Gavin, but then he snickered also, “No one said life was easy.”

Nines didn’t disagree at all. He’d been trained with a similar mantra, and it was difficult to see anything else from a new perspective or way. Life was a battle for him, and just the will to survive was difficult enough to find and establish. Everything was a challenge, but he found he enjoyed it this way more. It all gave him a reason to keep going, after all; to see the good through the bad. What was the purpose of living a life everyone else seemed to take for granted? Perhaps each day may have been his last, but at least in this manner, he could properly enjoy and live each day like it truly meant something.

Still, he was now intensely curious about why Gavin had uttered that phrase to begin with. He rolled to the right side of his body, propping his weight on a hand as he bent it at the elbow and rested it against his head while studying Gavin. Apparently, he’d been doing it for some time, as the young man eventually turned and stared uncomfortably at Nines.

“What?” his cheeks were red, and Nines knew it wasn’t just from the heat of the flames alone. This pleased him, for some odd reason, and he grinned.

Gavin rolled his eyes, “What is it now?”

“You tell me,” Nines whispered, eyeing Gavin carefully, and he was quick to notice that the younger man swallowed in nervousness.

Beautiful. Nines truly wanted to see that happen again, and sometime sooner rather than later. He’d always been drawn to and amused by the human body, especially how it reacted and behaved when under stress. Gavin was an entirely different sort of beauty, however. Again, Nines found himself drawing comparisons between the young man he’d been looking at, and all his prior victims. Not only was Gavin years younger than them all, but he seemed to radiate innocence and a unique kind of beauty Nines had never seen before. He’d never considered himself attracted to such purity before, but whatever form of it Gavin pushed out, Nines found himself addicted to all he was offered gratuitously. It was the best drug…

Raising a brow at the young man, he huffed, “So you think life is a challenge, then?”

With the way he’d asked that question in such an accusatory, judgmental manner, Gavin of course got defensive. He frowned at Nines, though he remained flatly on his back. Scratching the scar on his nose, he snorted, “No need to be a prick, Nines,” he spat with venom, “I’m sure life’s challenging for most people.”

Rolling his eyes, Nines inched closer to Gavin. “Oh, do indeed tell…”

“Why’re you being so sarcastic?! What the hell did I do wrong, now?!” Gavin was getting angrier, which had been precisely what Nines had been aiming for. Internally, he was celebrating and rejoicing, but he fought to keep up the façade as he frowned back at Gavin resolutely.

“Have you ever tried taking up _my_ career choice?” he asked viciously, “trust me, you never get to have a ‘normal life’ once you kill someone; you have to constantly watch your back and sleep with one eye open…” Nines was then truly frowning in contempt. The show had suddenly stopped, and he hated that he’d originally headed into this with the intention of rousing Gavin’s anger, only to end up making himself feel regret, anger, and resentment…but not towards the young man lying down beside him, no…Nines was angry with the Agency for condemning him to a lifetime of hell and purgatory. The more he studied, thought about, and learned about the kind of lifestyle Gavin lived, the more jealous, heated, and regretful he became. What had he gone through to make it all worth it? Was there even going to be a promise of freedom in the end after all these struggles?

Gavin was silent for a while, but then he stared down at the floor. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to take a life, you know…” he waited until Nines stared at him, shaking his head as his LED light color switched from yellow to blue.

When his mind had registered what Gavin had said, something strange fluttered within Nines’ system. It felt as though a moth had been flying around inside his skull, and he was desperate and eager for it to get out. Staring at how closely they were lying next to each other, he scowled as he shook his head once again. “Your empathy is absolutely disgusting.”

That had been one of the biggest lies Nines had told in the last few months. It’d been such an off-putting statement, that both he and Gavin stared blankly at each other with wide eyes before Gavin growled.

“Fuck you, Nines,” he spat as he glared directly at the android, “you know, you’re acting really weird!”

“Perhaps to a dimwitted fool such as yourself, yes, I would be acting ‘weird’,” Nines hissed as he stretched a hand out and let it hover by Gavin’s face. He could see the young man already growing some dark brown stubble on his face, and for some reason, Nines wanted to feel it for himself. He’d never be able to naturally grow any body hair, and he thought it made Gavin appear rougher and more masculine. Yet again, he was envious of the youth, and he hated that every second there seemed to be a new reason for his jealous nature to spike up.

Ignoring the hand almost touching his face, Gavin snarled with much hatred, “Stop calling me names!!! You don’t even know me, so how can you be so judgmental?!?”

Both eyebrows cocked high on his forehead, and Nines snickered in fascination. “I don’t know you?” he quipped playfully, “are you sure about that?”

Gavin only curtly nodded.

“I know that you’re a spoiled child,” Nines began, tone biting and cruel, “I know that you take each and every little thing around you for granted, as you think people are here to serve you,” he continued, watching as Gavin’s eyes widened, and his lips curled back in a silent snarl that appeared so beastly. “I know that you’re as naïve as it gets, I know that you’re beyond immature for your age, and I also know that you’re one sad, repressed virgin who holds the most idiotic and nebulous notions of sex and romance that it’s actually pathetically amusing…” he finished this all with a purr, his hand finally coming down to rest upon Gavin’s face. His cheeks felt both soft, yet so rough against his touch. It soon drove Nines insane, and all he could do was softly stroke the boy’s skin with the pad of his thumb.

It’d been silent for a few minutes before Gavin swallowed, and when he did, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and Nines watched it curiously. He offered Gavin a smile, still stroking his cheeks with his fingers while the younger male glared at his chest somewhere.

“I bet you’ve never had sex either, you butt-monk!” he insulted angrily, and the words rolled off Nines as he threw his head back and barked out a short laugh at the ceiling.

“I find it so adorable that you feel your usage of these words will get to me,” he mused as he looked down at Gavin warmly, and it made the youth swallow nervously. “The more you try to defend yourself through insulting me, the more I know I’m right about you.”

Gavin stuck out his chest defiantly. “You know nothing, Nines, so just keep your stupid, fake android nose out of my life, okay?!”

“Hmm,” Nines hummed deeply, “so then just what percentage of your ‘sexual experiences’ have you learned from porn, then?”

That had apparently been the last straw for Gavin.

He growled deeply as he reached out and shoved Nines’ hand off his face violently, and as he tried turning his back to Nines, the android snaked a long arm around Gavin’s waist and prevented him from showing him his back.

“Don’t touch me, you a---”

Gavin’s words had been cut off completely when Nines rolled himself on top of the younger man and pressed his lips over the seam of Gavin’s. The young adolescent was frozen for a moment, but then his hands gently pushed on Nines’ chest as he tried dislodging their lips. Reluctantly, Nines pulled away, not wanting to agitate the youth or cause more trouble. He merely leaned back as he stared down at Gavin’s moist lips. His thumb was again stroking the young man’s skin, and this time, Nines felt bold enough to lean down to press another kiss on Gavin’s lips, but the young man stopped it from happening. He turned his head to the side, cheeks aflame as he stared down at the floor.

Nines only smiled, running a hand through Gavin’s unkempt, messy hair. “I believe we were discussing human sexuality earlier,” he purred when he let his breath ghost over Gavin’s ear and neck. He delighted in watching as the boy shivered. “Shall we continue with our conversation, Gavin?”

Shivering from something other than the cold, Gavin cleared his throat. “We c-can, but wanna get off me first, please?”

“I’m rather comfortable here, I’m afraid,” Nines cooed, tilting his head down and just pressing the tip of his nose along the pallor of Gavin’s exposed neck. The youth shivered again, and he groaned in a tone that didn’t seem to be all that unpleasant. Nines smiled again.

“Nines?”

“Gavin?”

“Please, can you get off?”

He grinned as a wicked idea sprang into his mind, then.

Leaning down far and closely enough to almost scent the young man beneath himself, Nines nearly whispered seductively, “Oh, I think I most certainly _can_ get off…” he then slightly pressed his hips down over Gavin’s, and the other male breathed in sharply.

Before Nines could swoop in for another surprise kiss, Gavin cried out in shock as he reared up strongly. The force of it had caught Nines off-guard. In a few seconds, he found himself thrown off Gavin and back onto the floor. Chuckling from it all, Nines merely smirked confidently at Gavin.

“Guess I hit a nerve, huh?”

“Don’t be a pervert!” Gavin snapped, gathering his knees into his chest as he shivered. His cheeks were still red, and his heart was racing like a little rabbit in the meadows. Nines adored this, and he scooted closer to Gavin while studying his features closely.

“Talk to me…” his voice beckoned, and the younger male gave him all his attention.

Still shivering, Gavin slowly nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“Do you feel more attracted to women, or to men?” Nines asked, eyes slightly narrowed while his LED light turned yellow. He was scanning Gavin for deception, and he waited patiently until the young man thought about his question.

Gavin’s pink tongue darted out and wet his lips. “Women!! What kind of a question is that?!?”

“Don’t lie to me,” Nines muttered with a half-grin, “you kissed me on your own accord, and I’m sensing a lot of deception in your responses, Gavin…” when he’d purred the youth’s name in the way he had, Gavin shivered in delight and closed his eyes. One of his hands worked their way over to rest in the center of Nines’ back, and the android resisted the urge to just lean himself into the boy and kiss him again.

It’d taken every bit of self-control Nines had, but he restrained himself from doing anything just yet. Observing Gavin closely, he whispered into his ear, “I want you to answer my question again, only this time, answer truthfully; not in the way you think your parents, friends, or the rest of society wishes for you to answer.”

A lot had been left as an implication with that statement. While Nines himself wasn’t bound by rules of society, communities, families, and friends, he knew it was obvious Gavin was. But still, there was a lot of mystery lying within this young man, and Nines was interested in learning everything he could about Gavin.

The younger male blushed furiously, and his jaw and temples tightened and untightened while he thought about his response. Nines could tell there was a lot of fear, doubt, worry, and deeper issues swimming around in Gavin’s mind simply due to how his eyes clouded over and turned a little dark. Still, when Gavin looked back at him, he could see the whole world reflected in those eyes…it was beautiful.

Nudging Gavin’s neck with his nose and his lips, Nines rejoiced when he felt Gavin shaking in anticipation. “I’m all ears, Gavin…”

He could feel how quickly the boy’s heart was pumping, but he remained patient as he simply let his face rest against the crook of Gavin’s neck; not touching, not kissing, not doing anything. He was willing to wait all night if he had to.

Finally, Gavin relaxed a little as he sighed. “I don’t honestly know who I am or what I want,” he began in a fearful and small tone Nines had never heard before. “I th-think I may have some curiosities because whenever I was showering and changing with other g-guys in high school after swimming classes, I w-would always just…peek at their b-bodies, and I was always…” he then hung his head low in shame.

Nines smiled, “You were aroused.”

It was a fact, and Gavin nodded weakly, “Yes…god, I’m so fucked up!!”

Nines tilted his head curiously at him, “I wouldn’t say that; you’ve accrued experiences with women! Surely you enjoyed those?” He hoped the young man hadn’t been lying to him about his sexual experiences, though if there was a slight chance he had, Nines had to commend Gavin for making it all believable.

If circumstances in life had been different, Nines would’ve said that Gavin would’ve made an excellent spy or hitman.

Gavin blushed and merely looked away immediately. “I wasn’t lying about those,” he admitted as he trembled again, “I’ve been with girls, but it was all fooling around.”

“You enjoyed them.”

“Well yeah!” Gavin shrugged, “maybe I like both guys and girls??” he didn’t give Nines a chance to respond, “I’m abnormal, aren’t I?”

Nines suddenly felt something stinging in the center of his chest. It’d been almost identical to the sensation he’d experienced a few hours earlier when he’d wanted to slay Gavin and snatch his life away, only this time, he supposed it was a dull, throbbing ache of empathy and compassion. Why did this young man choose to be so self-deprecating? As if this world wasn’t terrifying and dark enough, but why did he have to dig so deeply to find a reason to hate himself and torment himself so? Nines was truly curious and baffled, and he remained silent as he simply observed Gavin staring around the room randomly, as though trying to dispel his grief and guilt.

It was a shame to look upon, and Nines felt a little disturbed and angry by it. But he knew lashing out at the young man before himself would only end up in him regretting his actions and choices later, so he willed and forced himself to remain calm. He closed his eyes and counted silently to ‘three’ before he thought of what would work as an option for a response.

“Gavin,” he began gently, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being bi-curious or anything in terms of that…” he had Gavin’s attention; the younger man was fully staring at him, not moving at all as he even seemed to be holding his breath.

“As for your more...personal preferences...they are not abnormal. You only think of them as such because of the restrictive, narrow-minded, old-fashioned upbringing you clearly have had to endure. If I were to tell you that there are a number of humans and androids currently in Detroit who also prefer the same sex or both, would that make you feel any better?”

Gavin’s eyebrows shot up, “Wait…you mean you know them personally??”

Nines rolled his eyes, “Not entirely, but I know _of_ them…does that makes sense to you?”

“Oh…umm yeah...well...” he shook his head, “…actually no, not really, I mean... well I’m twenty; I’m obviously an adult and have only just realized there is something wrong with me, that I’m more attracted to men... I mean, fuck, Nines! I really am pretty thick in the head not to know that about myself, right?”

Again, Nines rolled his eyes in mild disappointment. “Stop that nonsense Gavin; have you not been listening to me and paying attention tonight?” The young man shrugged, and Nines ignored it as he continued. “Your sexuality is something that is fluid. It changes with time and situation and it certainly doesn’t imply that there’s something wrong with you!”

When he saw Gavin nodding, he smiled. “You said so yourself! You no doubt have pushed thoughts of forming a relationship with men away because of the danger of your parents finding out and being disappointed in you, or even your friends thinking you’re strange and not as ‘cool’ to hang around anymore.”

“Right,” Gavin nodded again, “that’s so true!”

“It’s perfectly normal to resist even exploring your fantasies with other men when there’s so much at risk.”

Gavin chewed his lower lip, eyes slightly glossy. “But does this possibly mean that I’m just going through a phase? I might not be gay or bisexual, then?”

Nines growled in exasperation, “No, I think you could be...gay... as you label it so quickly…” he sighed in exhaustion, “…this stupid human concept and word I personally have no time for!”

He heard Gavin snickering, though he pressed on. “As for you, I don’t think that will change; you have only come to realize who you prefer because you haven’t allowed yourself-or been allowed-to consider a close relationship with men. Conforming to your parents’ ideal lifestyle is quite unhealthy, as it can ruin your spirit and individuality. The situation as such has never been right. Your sexuality will differ from anyone else’s, and once you become more accepting of who you are, your needs from a sexual partner will change over time, but not generally the gender you are most attracted to, although you may indeed enjoy both.”

Gavin smiled lightly, “And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Not in the slightest.”

Gavin then hung his head, not sure he grasped all of what Nines was telling him, but it was clear enough that he was right, that he was gay; he had pushed thoughts of close relationships aside in fear of making his parents upset, feel disappointed in him, and alienating himself from all his friends. But for what?? It still didn’t change who he was!

Moreover, he couldn’t believe that it’d been Nines to help him realize all this…

Smirking at the irony of it all, he whispered, “It’s kinda weird...”

Nines cocked an eyebrow, “What is?”

“That a professional murderer helped me figure out my identity and come closer to self-acceptance!” Gavin then laughed shortly, wiping his eyes as he leaned back and sighed a long sigh that seemed to signal nothing but relief.

Nines only remained silent as he stared down at the boy.

“Well I’m sorry I threw myself at you and made you touch and kiss me,” Gavin blushed again, as though thinking about it right now. “I... god...I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Nines hummed, “You merely reacted to my suggestion that the sensations you associate with anger and fear, could, in fact, be interpreted differently. You must get over this sense of guilt for your actions, as well as your shame. You must learn to accept who you are, Gavin.”

“Nines…I don’t know if I—”

Nines moved closer to Gavin and gently reached out one hand to cradle his chin so he could lift Gavin’s face to look at him.

“Look at me, Gavin,” he ignored the fact that he was begging, “can you honestly tell me that you didn’t enjoy my touch, that it didn’t feel right?”

Gavin wavered and hesitated, but Nines definitely heard a tiny ‘no’. It made him feel bold enough to capture Gavin’s lips in a deep, passionate kiss that had taken the younger male by surprise. He gasped, and Nines stole that moment to slide his tongue past Gavin’s lips and inside his warm mouth. It felt nothing short of amazing, and Nines was lost the moment it’d all happened; he dove into Gavin’s mouth deeper and deeper, his tongue wriggling around Gavin’s, coaxing some kind of a reaction. Gavin relented after a moment, and his arms looped around Nines’ neck as he moved in closer. They were more so experimenting and feeling things out for a while; simply pulling back, pecking each other sweetly on the lips, and then pressing their mouths together for a deeper, more intimate kiss. After a few moments of that, however, the kisses turned more than passionate; they were turning wild and heated with a frenzy that seemed to be worrying and terrifying Gavin.

Pushing on Nines’ chest, Gavin dislodged their mouths for a moment to catch his breath, but then Nines stole another mind-numbing kiss from the unsuspecting young man. Gavin didn’t seem to mind it a lot, wrapping a leg around Nines’ firm body and entrapping his body against his own. Nines slid the opposite leg wide open, settling and nestling comfortably between Gavin’s open legs as he assaulted and attacked his mouth with tongue, teeth, and low growls at the back of his throat.

Whimpering, Gavin clawed at Nines’ back until Nines decided to break away. Gavin was a panting mess, and it took him time to finally open his eyes and stare at Nines. Nothing but raw lust seeped out of his eyes, and Nines was so close to just saying ‘fuck it all’ and taking the young man right then and there. He thanked himself for having common sense and control, however, as the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of a lust-filled, sexually deprived youth who would later on likely end up regretting it all and blaming him for the whole affair.

Gavin wheezed out breathlessly, “Y-you!!”

Nines could only grin impishly. “Yes??” he was unable to keep the deep purr out of his voice, and Gavin shivered as he wiped his lips with the back of a hand.

“So who’s gay now, hmm?” he puffed out his chest, trying to land an insult, but Nines smiled on as he sighed and leaned against a small sofa.

“I’m afraid I’m impartial to sexual orientation, young Gavin,” he toyed with a smirk on his face that only grew wider when Gavin turned beet red, “men, women, pansexual, bisexual, gay, transgender; I don’t care much at all…”

Gavin scratched the back of his neck, “You’re still gay…”

The android merely shrugged, “Perhaps, perhaps not, though as I mentioned earlier, I’m comfortable with who I am.”

Glaring at him, Gavin was trying to argue back, when suddenly, there was a loud ‘BANG!’

It seemed to come from the cabin door, as though someone had placed an explosive there. The moment it echoed throughout the place, Gavin screamed in fear as he fell to the floor in panic. The fire in the fireplace had died down, and suddenly, everything seemed so dark. Nines stared at the door, and as he scanned through it, he saw a large shotgun pointed straight ahead…

“Gavin!! Stay down!!” Nines crept his way over to the fearful young man, pressing a hand down on the back of his head while multiple shots were fired into the door. The door was soon blasted more than part-way through, and Nines knew it wasn’t going to stand long as a protective barrier for them. They needed to get out of here through one of the windows!

Grabbing Gavin by the shirt collar, Nines made an attempt to yank him to his feet, but the boy refused to move…

“What’re you—” peeking down at Gavin, Nines found him curled in a fetal position as he held his hands over his ears and shook violently.

As the shotgun kept firing into the heavy door, Gavin panted, wheezed, and gasped as he reached for Nines. His hands were cold, and his eyes were as wide as plates. “Nines…h-help!”

Shaking him to his feet, Nines whispered, “What’s wrong?!? Gavin!!”

“I’m…h-having…a…”

The door suddenly cracked loudly, and Gavin cried out in fear as he took in mouthfuls of air.

“Nines!!”

“GAVIN!”

“I’m h-having a-a-a panic-c-c attack!!!”

After one last shotgun blast, the door finally burst open completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ......Well...shit.  
> All jokes aside though, my dumb ass would likely have pissed myself AND had the panic attack. But don't worry, Gavin! NINES WILL PROTECT YOUUUUU!


	13. A Helpless Nation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING! GRAPHIC SUICIDE*

The young man was having an anxiety attack. Nothing could change this fact, and Nines knew exactly what was going on, and what was soon to follow. While he knew he would never be able to experience what Gavin Reed was going through first hand, he understood fully well that the man’s heart rate was quickening, the bile was steadily rising in his throat, his brain was growing foggy, and his bloodstream was becoming so intoxicated with cortisol that he was no doubt becoming physically ill.

It all showed itself in how Gavin was even behaving and reacting.

Gavin rocked steadily on the floor, taking cover beneath some chairs and sofas while whimpering and crying like a young infant. It tore Nines apart hearing it and witnessing it, but there wasn’t much he could do. He had to remain calm and as composed as possible, otherwise, he knew they would both end up dead. He’d been in worse situations than the one they were currently trapped in, but with someone he knew he was growing to care for having been put right in harm’s way, he was starting to lose control and he saw red.

Whoever the intruder was, they’d been quite clever. Almost ninja-like in their silent approach and concealed appearance, they were wearing black clothing, a black ski-mask, and had been well armed and well prepared for a fight. The moment they’d shot the door down, they’d thrown in some tear gas, and it was slowly seeping into the room while Gavin closed his eyes and whimpered.

Unfortunately, the loud sounds paired with the threat of violence and danger rendered Gavin almost frozen in fear. There wasn’t a lot he was doing to get out of harm’s way, and Nines knew it’d be up to him soon. Now, he had to handle not only the dangerous intruder, but he had to find a way to help Gavin through his panic attack.

Gavin clutched at his chest suddenly, gasping for air as though he’d been drowning. His eyes were red and leaking tears as he shook his head and trembled. “I…c-c-can’t…br-br-breathe!!” he gasped and panted out while grabbing at his chest. “It…h-hurts m-m-me here!!”

“Stay down low!” Nines warned, waving a hand upwards and downwards while the heavy footsteps of the intruder soon burst and bulldozed in through the front hallway of the cabin.

Gavin wheezed out in pain, and then slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress and muffle the noises once he heard the thundering footsteps.

Everywhere was pitch black, but Nines wasn’t going to let that stop him. Switching to his keen night vision senses, he scanned the cabin and found that the intruder was indeed human. Their body temperature gave them away, and as Nines focused on their glaring red skeletal system blaring and flashing in his eyes, he saw a smaller one right next to him beneath a chair…

Gavin…

The young man was afraid for his life, and he was sweating profusely as he shivered while trying to breathe through a small open space between his fingers as he pressed his hand tightly against his mouth. Nines saw that his heart rate was about to shoot through the roof, and he wasn’t sure whether his body and mind would be able to handle it all. This wasn’t a soldier or mercenary trained to be calm and coldblooded in the midst of an attack; this was still a young man at heart, an innocent, and someone who hadn’t experienced death outside of a video game or movie, realistically…he needed to be protected!

Making sure his own footsteps were suppressed, Nines inched his way over to the left side of the long, large sofa, and he peered over it as he glared forth at the intruder. They moved gracefully like a shadow, their shotgun hugged and pressed closely to their chest as their dark eyes rested behind night vision goggles.

A prepared individual no doubt meant a ‘hit’, and Nines didn’t waste any time. He bound forward and tucked himself beneath a small bookcase and took watch of the intruder from there. Turning on a feature of his system that enabled his entire body to be almost at an inhumanely cold temperature to mask any detection, Nines kept down low to the floor and crawled along hurriedly like a predatory serpent.

The intruder was indeed searching for them, and he seemed to be cocking his head in the direction any sound was coming from. A few times as he was searching and hunting, Gavin whimpered and breathed harshly through his nose. It was as though the boy could sense the intruder even though his eyes were closed, and he couldn’t see in the dark. Gavin was struggling quite hard as he fought to keep silent while also trying not to give in to his full-blown panic attack.

His efforts wouldn’t last for long, however; his heart was beating too quickly, his breaths were coming out short and clipped, and it wasn’t going to be long before the intruder peeked beneath the chairs and saw Gavin trying to survive…

Nines had to warn Gavin to at least move out of his current position! That was the only thing he could do, and he eyed a small coffee table of sorts closer to the side of another long loveseat near to the rocking chair where he’d been previously sitting in.

If only he could cause a distraction, but first, he needed to somehow communicate that for Gavin…

His LED light was the only thing blinking on and off, and thankfully, Gavin’s eyes were wide open in fear as he pressed a hand over his mouth and lay on his side, bunched into a ball as he tried keeping quiet. It was highly likely now that the boy would see it, but so would the intruder, unless…unless…

Unless Nines knew how to worm his way over as closely towards Gavin as possible and direct his light source right into his face. That was the only plan he had currently, and Nines knew it was better than giving time to the intruder to find Gavin!

Although there was a strong likelihood of this plan failing miserably, Nines knew he didn’t have much time to think up a new one; the intruder was already on his way towards the bedrooms, lingering in the halls for a few brief moments. He had a tiny time-window now, and Nines hurriedly crept along the floors until he’d almost reached the tiny sofa Gavin was currently hiding and shaking beneath.

Of course, the intruder searched through the other rooms in the cabin relatively quickly, and in no time, he had returned to the den and living room. Nines didn’t need to scan and predetermine that the intruder was going to find Gavin. Not wanting to waste any more time, it was now a case of ‘fight’ to the death. It was the only way he would be able to protect the young man wheezing and almost choking down on the floor…

The safety of the firearm the intruder was wielding clicked off.

He had to move; NOW!

Bursting forth with a loud roar, Nines flung himself at the intruder. It’d been right on time as well, for the masked creature was already aiming his weapon directly at Gavin’s head. Another second’s worth of a hesitation, and the boy’s life truly would’ve come to an end.

Wrapping his long arms around the man’s neck, Nines pulled him directly forward over the sofa, and the man’s back and neck crashed directly into the glass of the coffee table with a loud shatter befitting an explosion in the dark, silent night. Gavin immediately screamed out in terror, then began wheezing and choking on his breath. The intruder rolled around between the shards of glass he’d fallen into, but Nines didn’t even give him another moment to do anything else. In seconds, he’d thrown himself on top of the man’s chest, and he pressed a foot down, bearing it heavily on the man’s arm brandishing the weapon.

His fingers and knuckles crunched, and he groaned in sheer pain, but Nines didn’t care; he brought down more of his heavy weight on the intruder’s hand until the monster had no other choice but to release his hold of the firearm. Once it wasn’t firmly clasped in his fist, Nines kicked it to the side, and Gavin whined and trembled as he fought hard to keep his eyes off the violent display before him. He’d backed away close to the other end of the living room near the fireplace, and he’d bunched his knees up into his chest while pressing a hand repeatedly over his heart…it literally seemed as if he was trying to feed life and oxygen into his terror-stricken body.

Feeling even angrier by this, Nines leaned down over the intruder and screamed out into his face, “Who’re you?!?!”

When the man clearly refused to answer, Nines reached down beneath his dark mask, and he tore it clean off. “WHO’RE YOU??!!! ANSWER ME NOW!!”

All he could see now that the mask was gone was just a face; flesh and blood. It was a human, and he had a thick goatee, beady black eyes, a hooked, long nose, cream-colored skin that was slightly red in the cheek area, high cheekbones, and a shaved head.

“WELL!?!?” Nines screamed once the man had been too silent, “TELL ME RIGHT NOW WHO SENT YOU AND WHO YOU’RE WORKING FOR!!”

To his amazement, the intruder started snickering and laughing…yes, he threw his head back and lost himself in boisterous loud rounds of laughter.

Life and death were a joke to this man??

Pressing down on the man’s arm, Nines then reached forward and wrapped a strong hand around his neck. “You nearly killed someone tonight,” he hissed dangerously, his hold and grip slowly tightening around the man’s neck. Majority of his breath died down, and he was no longer laughing once Nines began choking him slowly. His eyes bulged out a little, but he still managed to work a cruel, cold sneer upon his face, closely resembling a predatory shark.

Sneering back at him, Nines growled thinly, “Tell me everything; now.”

A gasp was emitted, and then the man finally groaned out, “You…don’t…remember…me??”

Nines gaped at him for a second, and then snarled, “Don’t fuck with me, you stupid imbecile! You tell me right now, and answer my question!” Tightening his hold over the man’s long throat even more, his gloves made small squeaking noises as he clenched his fingers and dug them into warm, soft flesh. The man clenched his thick neck under Nines’ grip as a result, but it wasn’t a wise move; Nines merely increased the pressure.

Coughing and wheezing through his mouth and nose now, the man pressed out, “Doesn’t…remember…ahaha…I’m…here…to…deliver…a…message…”

A message???

No…this had to be a trap or a diversion…

Not ready to take the man’s words seriously, Nines spat with venom and hatred at him, “Cut your bullshit short and be direct!!”

Coughing even harder and louder, the man wriggled a little under his grip, and Gavin whimpered while whispering something under his breath. Nines wasn’t paying attention to it, however, and he clenched the man’s throat even harder.

“Tell me…”

The man finally gave out a sigh, his body growing a little cold and limp beneath the murderous, strong android’s deathly grip. “The…message…is…that…the…Agency…wishes…to…claim…what’s…rightfully…its…own…”

“You—”

Not finished yet, the intruder coughed, “The…Agency…will…have…its…revenge…murder…in…cold…blood…death…of…a…child…an…eye…for…an…eye…Agent…Nines…you…will…be…sorry…”

A direct or indirect threat???

Now he was worried, as he no doubt knew the intruder had made a reference to Gavin.

Leaning into the man, Nines cried out, “Revenge?! Who wants to take revenge?!? TELL ME RIGHT NOW!!!”

Coughing slammed into his audio receptors, and the man finally took one last pained breath before Nines noticed the skin around his face and neck had gone purple. He literally was fighting for the last bits of his energy to press out the message.

Grinning evilly at Nines, the intruder finally ground out, “You…left…traces…behind…DPD…” as soon as that last bit had been dragged out of him, his eyes rolled back into his skull, and he choked out one last breath. His limbs went rigid, and then they fell to the floor in a dull ‘thud’.

A deafening silence rang out in the darkness of the old cabin for a long, long time. No one moved, and Nines peered down at the corpse lying there beneath this grip. The intruder’s neck was deep purple, and his cheeks puffed out. His lips were cracked and dry, and his face as white as ghost…

Suddenly, a powerful scream burst forth, and Nines stared up directly at Gavin.

With a trembling hand, the young man pointed over at the body. “H-he’s d-dead!!” the terrified youth stammered out, “you-you killed h-him!! Oh my g-g-god!”

“Gavin, I—”

The younger man didn’t want to hear any of it. Moving against the wall, he pressed himself back, and he held out a hand before Nines. “STAY A-AWAY FROM M-ME!!!” he’d screamed out when Nines tried approaching him.

Hanging back momentarily, the android was stunned, but then frowned seriously as he resumed stepping towards the frightened youth. “Gavin,” he began in a calm tone, “please don’t be like this, I just—”

Shaking his head wildly back and forth, the adolescent spat out, “YOU’RE A M-MURDERER, AND YOU’RE G-G-GONNA K-KILL ME TOO!!!”

Hearing that had been the final straw for Nines. He didn’t care that Gavin wanted him to stay back; he wasn’t going to allow the boy to have such a horribly incorrect view and assumption about him, not after everything they’d been through.

Diving forward swiftly, Nines landed on top of Gavin, and he pried him away from the wall as he held both his wrists in his strong, powerful hands. Of course, Gavin kicked and screamed. Of course, he fought and struggled for his life, but Nines was far too strong, and he easily overpowered the boy in no time with minimum efforts exerted.

“LET ME GO!”

“Stop.”

“I WANT TO GO, N-NOW!”

“Hush!”

“MOM! DAD!!!”

“Shhhhhhh!”

“NOOOOOOOO-MPHHH!!!”

Clamping a gloved hand firmly over Gavin’s lips, Nines sealed back more screams of protest, and he leaned into Gavin while pressing his shoulders and back down on the hardwood floor. Glaring into the boy’s eyes shamelessly, Nines pressed his weight carefully over the human’s, so as to not crush him, but to also keep him firmly in place.

Their eyes met, and Nines saw pure anger and defiance glaring back at him. It thrilled and excited him in many ways, but he pushed those aside as he sneered down at Gavin.

“Silence yourself right now, you miserable child,” he spat out calmly as he could, despite being very anger and irate with the accusations Gavin had thrown his way. He hated to admit it, but Gavin’s accusations had affected him and hit him somewhere deep inside so painfully. He could never really feel pain, but these words, the feelings, and the emotions they’d carried…it truly hurt and cut him.

Blinking back the stinging sensation of the words, Nines added on, “What?? Did you honestly think that the life I’ve lived was all colorful rainbows and sunshine?” he then snorted, “such an innocent you are…”

If Gavin hadn’t surprised him before, he certainly did in the split second it took for him to wriggle his hands out of Nines’ grip, and he slapped the android as hard as he could across the face. It didn’t make Nines back away from Gavin, but it did stun him and make him pause.

Perhaps that had been exactly what Gavin had been looking for, and perhaps it hadn’t. Either way, both men stared at each other in shock, and then Gavin growled out while kicking beneath Nines, “FUCK OFF!!!!!”

Rolling his eyes, Nines held onto him tightly, but then moved back. Gathering the boy up along with him, Nines placed his hands along the floorboards, moving them around while scanning the floor at the same time. “It was your life or his, Gavin, and I had to pick!” he snapped out, and the boy inched away from the corpse as he took in many panicked breaths.

Nines had been scanning over and over, when his gaze landed on the mouth of the corpse. He couldn’t believe he’d missed it at first, but upon a closer inspection, he saw that the man had been hiding something. There’d been more to his ‘death’ than what originally met the eye…

But it was tough trying to study the body while Gavin was screaming profanities out at him while again trying to slap him. Putting up with it for a moment, Nines held out a hand, and then shrugged out of his gloves. Human skin bare, he drew his hand over towards the mouth of the dead body sitting not too far away from them both. Of course, he’d expected for it to shock and terrify the young Gavin, and the boy’s jaw dropped wide open in fear.

He held back on nearly throwing up when he saw Nines resting his fingers over the dead man’s mouth, and in one second afterwards, he’d pried open the jaw of the corpse. It dropped down obscenely, and Nines didn’t waste another moment before sliding his long fingers inside the dead man’s mouth. He pushed his heavy tongue side, and he grunted as he felt along inside the cold mouth.

Heaving from the sight of it, Gavin spat out, “What’re you—hggnnh!! I th-think I’m g-gonna throw the fuck up!!”

Ignoring him for the moment, Nines moved the man’s tongue aside, and he began clawing and picking at the back molars. He knew what he was searching for, as he had the suspicion the moment his scan on the body came back with dark blue markings all over the back of the throat and mouth of the intruder’s body.

While Gavin tried looking away, Nines finally ran the tip of his index finger along the right side of the intruder’s back molars, and he felt something sharp jabbing into his finger.

Ahhhh…there it was.

Smiling in triumph, he felt his way along the rows of teeth-upper and lower-and then turned and grinned at Gavin. The boy shrank from it, and he groaned while holding a hand around his stomach.

“How could you d-do this?!?” he cried out in protest while his face blanched, “this is so g-gross, Nines!!”

Snorting, Nines finally retracted his finger from the mouth of the corpse. Holding it up towards his own eyes, he ignored how Gavin choked and wheezed out. “In the old days,” he explained calmly and softly while turning his finger about before his own eyes, “a lot of Shinobi and Ninjas in ancient Japan would have the honor and decency of admitting defeat in a very special way…” his finger was gleaming with saliva, blood, and a toxic substance not a single human eye could see without running intense tests.

“…some call it ‘bite down’, others call it a ‘suicide pill’, and some choose to bestow another moniker,” he continued, swishing his other fingers and swirling them around the tip of his index finger. He saw the substance disappearing, and it embedded itself into his skin.

Grinning over at Gavin once again, he sighed, “This man killed himself long before I even touched him…”

Gavin wasn’t ready to believe him. He shook his head vigorously, and he argued, “You’re a liar!! Y-you choked him!! I saw i-it!!”

“You saw what you wanted to see,” Nines spat, rubbing his hand over his black pants, “this isn’t an entirely new technique; enemies have long since taken their own lives before their opponents had the opportunity to draw and pull out information from them.”

Shaking, Gavin peeked over at the corpse, and he whispered out, “S-so he was already somewhat d-dying?”

Nines smiled, happy that the boy believed him. “Yes,” he sighed out, “he’d held this toxic poison within his mouth all along; he merely needed to bite down on it, and the stuff would begin working…” he stared long and hard at his finger and sneered, “it attacks the brain and heart directly through the bloodstream, and he was long dead before you or I even knew about it.”

With that said, Nines glanced over at Gavin, and the young man shivered as he fought hard to look away from the corpse. “I just want to leave,” he hissed out finally, “before more assholes come in here ready to kill us!!”

Humming deeply in thought, Nines considered it for a moment, but then shook his head in disagreement. “No.”

Gavin squeaked out, “NO!?!?”

“No.”

Gavin backed away from him once again, “Oh my god, you can’t just hold me prisoner here and do this to me!!”

“Gavin,” Nines began, rolling his eyes while continuing to scan and touch the floorboards, “I know you won’t understand anything that’s going on here, and believe me, I don’t expect you to…” something clicked, and then rattled, and Gavin gasped as he stared around down at the floors.

“What’re you doing?”

Pulling up at a particular spot on the floors when he’d finally located and targeted the minor inconsistency in the wooden patterns, Nines yanked up the single wooden plank. It came up with a groan, and Nines turned and shifted it to the side, revealing a tiny red button. Pressing it quickly, Nines turned over towards the fireplace, and now that it’d been put out, it shook and finally slid to the right side of the wall. In no time, it revealed a long, dark hallway burrowing into the ground beneath it, and Gavin’s jaw dropped in awe.

“What’s this?!” he gasped, “it’s like a s-secret hideout?”

Smiling at him, Nines leaned into him and gently loosened his hold on Gavin, “There’s a reason why Amanda always told us to seek this place out; a hideout was built into the tunnels beneath it, and not very many know of its existence…”

Pushing Gavin towards the opening of the tunnel, Nines had been ready to help the boy down the stone steps into the darkness below, but the wind blew lightly, and the thick, heavy cobwebs spiders had woven and built around the gaping entryway seemed to frighten the young man.

Leaping backwards into Nines’ sternum, Gavin snapped at him, “NO! I’m not going down there!!”

“Gavin, you must…”

“NO!!”

Shoving him lightly in the back, Nines ushered him closer to the opening of the secret hideout, and that was when Gavin turned around and wrapped his hands around Nines’ strong neck. “Please don’t make me go in there!” he cried out desperately, sniffling and coughing as he held onto Nines for dear life while begging and pleading.

To see Gavin in such a sorry state actually genuinely hurt Nines deeply. He knew the adolescent was frightened and likely didn’t understand anything that was going on, but he needed to emphasize and remind the younger male about what could happen to him, and how bad the situation had gotten. But he didn’t want to frighten the boy again into having another panic attack…

Holding Gavin gently, Nines managed to carefully pry Gavin’s fingers off his shoulders and neck. He handled the boy delicately, hushing him as he held a hand against his cheek. Surprised that Gavin allowed his hand to be there, Nines whispered, “You have to remain here while I go back to the Detroit Police Department.”

Gasping, Gavin barely managed to choke out, “Why?? Wh-what for??”

“If you stay here, anyone who comes looking for the man I just killed won’t suspect that you’ll be here,” he explained as he helped Gavin up to his feet, “reverse psychology, as you humans would say…”

Gavin shook his head, “B-but I want to c-come with you, Nines! I’m scared!”

Leaning his forehead against the shorter male’s, Nines sighed softly while he half-closed his eyes. “Gavin,” he began gently, “please, just trust me on this! I’ll be back for you before you realize it, okay?”

He was then met with a dewy pair of blue-grey eyes. “You p-promise?” Gavin’s tiny voice hit his ears like a hammer, and Nines reeled back from it for a second.

Promise?? Gavin wanted him to promise something he himself was unsure of, even???

Nines may have been a murderer, an assassin, a coldblooded monster majority of the time, and careless when it came to others, but he didn’t consider himself so cruel as to make a promise he couldn’t keep. At the same time, he didn’t want to be the harbinger of bad, negative news, and he didn’t wish to flood Gavin’s fearful spirit with broken hopes.

Rubbing the pad of his thumbs along the slightly stubbly face of the adolescent, Nines found himself nodding. “I promise you; I’ll be back for you soon.”

His system and mind registered in the feeling of Gavin hugging him in a tight embrace, but it was all over before Nines could even blink. Moving away from him, Gavin hurriedly got down in the small tunnel past the secret opening, and he paused as he threw Nines a small smile over his shoulder.

“Nines?”

The android blinked once, “Hmm?”

Gavin’s smile only grew wider as his eyes twinkled. “Don’t be late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NINES!!! DON'T SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM GAVIN!!! :'(


	14. Free Will Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A LOT of insanity 😪😫 I'll let the chapter's contents speak for itself!

“Big wheels keep on turning! Carry me home to see my kin! Singing songs about the south-land!!!” Connor sang out while swaying back and forth in the passenger seat of Hank’s old vehicle, “I miss ‘ole’ ‘bamy once again! And I think it’s a sin, yes!!!”

His singing was absolutely terrible to listen to, and Hank cradled his head in a hand while he steadily drove towards the DPD. He’d woken up late yet again that very same morning, but it wasn’t his fault; he’d been staying up all night reviewing his notes on the ‘Zlatko Double’ case, and he even rewound and watched the footage from the parking lot at least a couple of dozen times more before Connor finally ordered him to go to bed.

They’d argued until four in the morning, and Hank proclaimed the case was more important than his sleep. Due to how angry and heated he’d been with Connor, he never went into a proper, deep sleep, and since Connor was still angry with him that very same morning, he hadn’t prepared Hank’s coffee…

Now that his head pounded and hurt, Hank really started doubting himself and wondering what had possessed him to skip out on his beauty sleep while Connor almost screamed out the musical notes next to him while the radio blasted the music on and on.

“Well I heard Mister Young sing about her, well I heard old Neil put her down, well, I hope Neil Young will remember, a southern man don’t need him around anyhow…”

Praying it would all soon stop, Hank drove a little faster, eyeing the DPD in the distance.

Perfect. This suffering would soon draw to an end.

Throwing his head back and howling, Connor crowed out, “Sweet home Alabama! Where the skies are so blue!! Sweet home Alabama! Lord, I’m coming home to you!!!!”

That was it.

He’d already found a parking spot next to two police cars, thankfully, and while his ears buzzed in a horrible way due to Connor’s singing, he turned off the engine and then the radio by slamming his hand down over it. The stupid music finally cut off, and Connor gasped at him, mourning the loss already.

“Nooooooooo!!! Hank, I—”

“Oh, shut the hell up, Connor,” Hank grumbled, undoing his seatbelt and practically throwing the piece against the car door in anger. He almost kicked the door open, but then remembered that this was his own vehicle, and he wasn’t getting paid any time soon should he choose to damage it. He still had a shit load of bills to pay, money that he should’ve been saving, and other stuff to watch and track his expenditures on.

Damn.

Both Hank and Connor exited the vehicle swiftly, and then Connor stood about awkwardly in the middle of the huge parking garage. “Sooo, now what?” he asked while shrugging in boredom.

Hank groused, “Well, instead of just standing around like a useless twerp, Connor, why don’t we search the parking lot for traces or evidence of that son of a bitch who was spying on us? Hmm??”

Hank’s sarcasm apparently had been potent and powerful enough to get Connor moving. Holding his hands up as though to defend or shield himself, he cried out, “Okay, okay!! Gosh!!!” picking up his feet, then, he hissed out irritably, “I’m looking!!!”

Only when Connor’s back had been turned to him and he’d already walked away a few feet did Hank smirk and whisper to himself, “Androids; they’re worse than kids.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

It was still bright out when Nines reached the abandoned car they’d left on the side of the road before they’d climbed down through the forest to locate the secret hideout cabin. Making sure first and foremost to burn the body of the intruder, he’d then scattered the man’s ashes into the brook before clearing the scene. It’d been a wise choice to take their items out and cover their tracks, he’d found; their car had already been thoroughly searched despite the fact that he’d locked it, and despite the fact that it hadn’t even been broken into.

The signs weren’t exactly obvious to someone who didn’t know how to look for them properly, but the moment Nines looked at the car, he knew what had happened. Whoever had searched the car hadn’t left fingerprints at all, which obviously meant they’d used gloves. Nines had scanned the car from top to bottom, front to back, and there were clearly no visible fingerprints anywhere. Still, he knew for a fact it hadn’t been an android who’d been here. As clever as the person was and as well as they’d tried to hide and conceal their tracks, they’d unfortunately slipped up.

They’d picked the lock of the driver’s side of the car, and when they had, a hair follicle had fallen onto the seat of the car. Nines saw it flare up red as he’d scanned the interior of the vehicle, and it brought a small smile to his face. Studying the hair piece as intently as he could, he found that it was rather short, which was indicative of the individual having trimmed their hair recently. It was a light, dirty blonde shade, and likely belonged to a middle-aged male.

This same middle-aged male had gone through the rest of the car fishing and hunting out something, but they didn’t leave much else behind in their wake. The ground and dirt around the passenger side of the car hadn’t been disturbed as it leaned into the Earth. Clever. The individual knew not to step there so as to leave a footprint. Nothing else in the vehicle had been disturbed or pushed around, but Nines knew exactly who they were dealing with, now…or what, specifically.

Grinning to himself, he sighed out, “Rats; I can never seem to fully exterminate them, I see…”

The sooner they got rid of the rat, the better. Judging from the amount of DNA he’d gathered around the hair piece, there lacked a decent amount of dust particles surrounding it; the rat hadn’t been here too long ago, which meant he was still about.

Perfect.

It was time to hunt the rat, but first, he knew it would be in his best interest to leave a little ‘gift’ of sorts for future rats who wanted to poke about in his business.

Digging into his back pockets, Nines pulled out a tiny pocketknife, and he began hurriedly picking the lock of the trunk of the car. Expertly picking it, the trunk was open in less than a minute, and Nines gently lay his hands over the inside of the bottom of the trunk. It had to be here somewhere…

Moving his hands and fingers back and forth and up and down, he felt the sharp, firm ridges of it, and he grinned to himself. “Thank you, Amanda.” Slamming his hand down over the tiny compartment built at the bottom of the trunk, he confirmed it was here for himself.

With his gloves still on, Nines tore into the matt and flooring of the trunk, and as he ripped a tiny portion of it open, he dug a few fingers deeply inside the tear, and he pulled out of it a tiny spherical shape. Its lights were off, which meant it wasn’t operating, for now…he then entered the code to activate it by pressing a few tiny buttons beneath the sphere, and in no time at all, the tiny ball had flashed orange, and then remained on bright yellow.

Getting down to his knees, he slid his body beneath the vehicle, and he attached the sphere’s tiny-hook-like legs under the car. It stayed there perfectly, and he smiled as he backed up and stood to his full height. Adjusting his tie and suit, he hissed, “Set to self-destruct should anyone go near you…”

A most perfect mousetrap indeed.

Walking away from the car quickly, he looked up to the skies and began seeking out cell and radio towers quickly. It didn’t matter at all if this rat was using a disposable phone, and it didn’t matter if he thought he was hidden away well enough. The PING traces would be accessed to him in no time at all, and then he would locate a map to target his rat. It was one of the best parts of being an android; he could do anything so long as it was programmed in his system, and right now, finding the rat was getting to be a lot easier as he made his way back up the hills around the car. He’d ignored the warning signs and ‘danger’ signs regarding falling rocks and other jagged objects. It wouldn’t hurt him anyway.

When he stood close to the cell towers and phone lines, he zoomed in on them, scanned them, but then also ‘hacked’ them as best as he could. Normally, only law-enforcement and authorities held the rights and jurisdiction to do this, but he was well above them…

The PINGs slammed back into his audio receptors and head as vibrations, suddenly, and he nearly cried out in joy.

The rat indeed had been here not too long ago at all, just as he’d predicted.

He loved being right.

His long legs moved him quickly towards the next cell tower, and he began putting the pieces together as he triangulated the rat’s position.

It wouldn’t be too long now before the cat held the rat in its powerful, deadly jaws.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Hank was itching and burning for a cigarette after barely fifteen minutes of being in the stupid DPD parking garage. He couldn’t help it; this place just always brought him the worst memories and awarded him with the worst of feelings. No wonder he had to quit not too long ago. Everything about the DPD was just plain horrendous as far as being overworked was concerned, having shitty pay, arguing and disagreeing constantly with his co-workers and superior, and just having a nasty day 25/8.

Had they made the right choice to leave and quit?

Hank peeked over at Connor, and he watched as the android bent down beneath a few cars, poking around and searching. When he’d obviously found nothing of interest, he made to get up, but he’d misjudged the space and distance between the top of his skull and the car he was in front of, and his head smashed clumsily against it. Connor paused for a moment before slowly moving his way around the narrow path between parked cars. It was eerily quiet for almost forty seconds, and then Connor whispered, “Ow…”

Yes, they’d made the right choice.

His lungs burned and ached once again, and his fingers began twitching while he distracted himself from all thoughts of smoking. He wasn’t one to take up old habits, but right now, he felt he was going to die if he didn’t have one…no, he would _kill_ to have one! But too bad Connor was still here; Connor would never let him get away with smoking! In fact, the nosy RK800 had been the one who’d forced Hank to quit one fine summer day!

Connor had mouthed off so many facts about what products and toxic materials made up one cigarette, and then to make matters worse for the older Lieutenant, he’d scanned Hank’s body, and had told him he was ‘frightened’ of letting him know what his results had been.

Point taken; smoking was bad and harmful.

But it was also a huuuuuuuuuuge stress reliever for him!!!! He needed it now of all times, and Connor was definitely going to give him another stupid, long lecture if he indulged.

Perhaps he could be sneaky about it??

He remembered he had his lighter, pack of cigarettes, and sometimes an old box of matches for the case of emergencies in his car. It was all hidden away in the glove compartment, but he knew Connor had a god damn photographic memory, and there would be no way on Earth he could distract the android or even lie to him to get what he wanted.

Shit.

Maybe he could go for a casual show?

It was worth a shot.

Very quietly and carefully, as he made sure Connor’s back was still turned towards him, Hank toyed with his car keys. He gingerly stroked them, as if promising they would be of use, soon. Nodding over at Connor, he barked out, “Anything yet?”

Connor shook his head and sighed sadly, “I can’t find anything here, Hank!”

He already knew that. “Hmm,” he hummed deeply, feigning that he was burying himself deep in his thoughts, “well, try over at the far end by the cameras, Connor!”

Spinning around, Connor frowned lightly, “What for?”

Hank resisted the urge to throw a fit, but he somehow managed to keep calm as he smiled politely and in a friendly manner. “Just because I have a good hunch, Connor,” he responded dully, “so you should take this old Lieutenant’s advice!!”

The RK800 thought about it for a moment, eyes growing vacant, and then he flashed Hank a bright smile of his own. “Okay!”

Thank God.

Connor sped over towards the cameras hoisted high up on pillars in the parking lot, and as he wove his way around the large trucks and vans parked about, Hank cheered internally. Now was his best chance!!!

Making certain his feet didn’t make even the smallest bit of a sound, Hank tiptoed over towards the driver’s side of the car, and his fingers ghosted over his car keys. Gathering them into the palm of his hand, he withdrew his clenched fist, and then snuck it out of his coat pocket. Taking another step towards the car, he eyed the lock, but he knew he’d been too silent and Connor could catch on…

Raising his head, he cried out to his partner again, “Anything?”

“Hmmm, don’t think so…wait!” Connor yelled back, and Hank felt his heart leaping up to his throat.

He froze, fingers hovering over the ‘unlock’ button. “What’s wrong?”

Not answering him right away, Connor’s quiet state made Hank panic a little. While the android wasn’t watching him, it was if he somehow knew…no, he had to be wrong!! He was just panicking and freaking out over nothing!!! Gently pressing the ‘unlock’ button, Hank breathed out in relief when the car didn’t make any ‘beeping’ noises like the other vehicles often would when locked or unlocked. The benefits of having an older, outdated car…

Impatience was still tugging at the root of his concerns, and while he shoved his keys back into his pockets, he kept his eyes trained on Connor, and he yelled out, “Connor!!! Talk to me!!!” What was with the silence all of a sudden!?!? Didn’t Connor know this likely looked and seemed worse?? Perhaps he wanted to send him to an early grave after all…

A sigh soon broke through the silence, however, and Connor shook his head sadly. “I thought I had something, but I guess it was a false alarm,” he explained gently, “sorry Hank.”

Rolling his eyes, Hank worked hard on keeping his tone cheerful and friendly as before. “Don’t apologize, Connor,” he began, shifting himself to the side of the door as his fingers latched onto the door handle, already eager to open it. “You wanna make it up to me? Just keep on lookin’ over there, and I’ll look over here.”

Feet already moving along, Connor said, “Sure thing, Lieutenant!”

Hank once again let out a tiny, relieved breath. He felt freer, now, but he still had a ‘ways’ to go before those cigarettes were his!

Praying Connor wouldn’t turn around, Hank rested his hand over the latch of the door, and he very carefully worked it upwards. He kept whispering under his breath: ‘fuck off Connor, fuck off Connor, please don’t turn the fuck around, Connor’. He heard Connor shuffling and rummaging about, but when Hank had finally opened the door by working the latch upwards, it gave off a tiny squeak.

Right away, both the Lieutenant and his android work partner froze.

Hank didn’t blink or breathe, and Connor’s LED light remained on the color yellow. It seemed as if Hank was in deep shit, and he prepared and braced himself for the lecture of a lifetime. Eyes clenched shut tightly, he prayed for it to be over soon, but then Connor moved further away from him?

What??

He opened his eyes cautiously, and he found that Connor had been inching his way closer to the garbage bins and dumpsters.

“Uh…Connor?” he began in a wary tone of voice, “what’re you doing?” While he felt grateful for the fact that the RK800 had been distracted by something, whatever it was to lead Connor to the dumpsters made Hank worry a little bit. He’d seen enough cop shows and movies to know that sometimes, dead bodies or body parts had been dumped in garbage bins…

Nooo!!! It was only his overactive imagination, and the lack of tobacco in his system!!!

“Connor!! Talk to me!” he cried out in slight panic, but then Connor waved at him over his shoulder.

“I’ve trailed something here to these bins, Lieutenant!” he explained while trying to keep his voice down, “you wait for me while I search through them, okay?”

Good. The further away he was from the garbage and foul odors, the better. He already felt sick to his stomach thinking about what on Earth Connor was looking for, but he pulled his mind and thoughts away from it quickly enough. “Okay, Connor,” he nodded, “but please hurry up; this place is giving me the fuckin’ freaks!”

Flashing him a thumbs-up, Connor only said, “I understand, Lieutenant; you can smoke away and take a step closer to developing cancer, while I slave away in the trash.” Although his voice had been pleasant and lovely to listen to, its sarcastic implications slammed in his mind at once.

Reeling back from being ‘caught’ without even being seen and noticed, Hank scowled angrily at Connor while yanking open the car door, not giving a shit about being caught making sounds anymore. “You ain’t so perfect yourself, Connor,” he spat out with hatred and venom that Connor knew would go away in an hour or so. Plopping himself down on the seat, Hank stretched his arms out towards the glove compartment, and he popped it open while searching for his cigarettes.

Hearing the slams of the dumpster lids opening and closing loudly, Hank felt his head throbbing and pounding, and he knew he’d made the right choice to seek out what his body and system had been so badly lacking and needing all along. The carton of cigarettes was in his grasp a moment later, and he sighed out in relief as he cradled them protectively to his chest.

“Nothing here,” Connor sighed out in disappointment, and he closed another dumpster lid. Wiping his hands over his dress pants, he eyed Hank from within his car, and he shook his head dismissively. “I thought you were quitting?”

Hank lit the cigarette and barked out, “Fuck you, Connor.”

Rolling his eyes wearily, Connor groused to himself, “I guess the old timer needed it after all…might as well let him be.” It was difficult to respect that and leave it alone, but he was able to distract himself with more important things on their list of priorities.

He searched the rest of the huge parking garage.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

_“We’re sorry, the customer you’ve been trying to reach is either currently unavailable, or is not taking calls at the moment. Please try again later!”_

“God fucking damnit!” Slamming the phone down on the passenger seat of the car he’d been waiting surreptitiously in, the rat truly began worrying and panicking, now. Checking the digital clock in the car, he saw that it was already a bit late; he’d been expected to have reported back three minutes ago…

Thunder rumbled above in the sky, as if warning him of the trouble he was likely already in, and he made another reach for the phone. Swiping it to make the call, he redialed the same number, anxiously turning on the windshield wipers.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

He looked outside the window, feeling relieved that he’d been hidden and tucked away in the mountains and bushes of thick, heavy foliage that was so dark green it’d be impossible for anyone to spot him by eye alone. The tall vegetation of the woods promised him protection, as did his employers and superiors…that is, _if_ he was able to follow along with their orders and instructions to the last point. There was no room for miscalculation and error, and time was not on his side.

Nervously chewing his lower lip, he lost track of the calls and rings while he waited as patiently as he could. It was though he’d been under a knife or needlepoint, now, and he could only tap and drum his fingers along the steering wheel as a method of calming himself down. His damn nerves kept getting in the way of that, however, and anytime he’d started a random pattern of noise, the thunder outside would interrupt. Even the wind picked up and began howling, backing up and supporting his dark, haunting thoughts as he wondered what would become of him if he didn’t make the call.

He checked the timer again.

Four minutes late.

Groaning, he disconnected, and then redialed.

One ring.

“Come on!”

Two rings.

“Please!”

Three rings.

Why weren’t the damn windshield wipers working???

Wanting to check it out while he waited, the rat rolled down his driver’s window, and he poked his head out and around for closer inspection. The damn things had frozen in place?? Why??? They’d been working a moment ago…perhaps he needed to kick at them…

Beeeeeeeeeeep! _“We’re sorry, the customer you’ve been trying to reach is either currently unavailable, or is not taking calls at the moment. Please try again later!”_

Staring at the phone, he screamed out, “Fuck youuuu!!!” This time, he threw it down to the bottom of the car right between his feet and the gas and brake pedals. Nothing seemed to be working today, and he was really getting angry.

The wind blew his long, greasy hair about, and he sighed as he pushed and flipped it back over his shoulders. Retreating back inside the car, he winced when he saw what time it was. And his phone was down on the floor by his feet…not clever.

Deciding to try again, he unbuckled his seatbelt momentarily so it wouldn’t be in the way, and he bent down forward with his fingers pointing and reaching down for the phone. It slipped and hid itself under the gas pedal, but he wrapped his hand around it in no time while moving his feet out of the way. Once he held it in the palm of his hand, the rat sighed and sat back up.

The windshield wipers weren’t moving, still, and he stared intently at them as he righted his body posture up.

“Maybe they’ll work when it starts raining…”

That wasn’t his own voice he’d just heard.

He froze, and then peeked out the driver’s window, and he was face-to-face with a vicious-looking android leaning casually against his side of the car, arms crossed beneath his chin while he stared at the rat.

Squealing, he cried out, “Agent Nines!!!!!!!”

Nines grinned in triumph once he was recognized, and he sneered, “In the fucking flesh, baby.” In the time that it took for the rat to blink his beady, dark eyes, Nines snatched the front collar of his shirt up and bunched it up into a clenched fist, and he yanked the man forward out of his own car. The door exploded open violently, and the rat was tugged right off his seat like a small leaf being picked up and flung about in a winter storm.

Sailing up into the air past Nines himself, the rat had been mercilessly thrown into the grass and mud, and he rolled around a few times from the force of the impact. Nines didn’t stop advancing, however; he assaulted the rat by leaping towards him and yanking him up on his feet again. Slamming the man’s back against a tree trunk, Nines eyed him with distaste and displeasure.

“Hello again, Rat.”

His greeting made the thin, lanky man with the greasy, unkempt, straw-colored long hair tremble in fear. He was wearing dark, baggy clothes, which was why he’d been able to hide away rather nicely. Too bad Nines was pretty skilled at ‘hide and seek’, however. Even years ago, when Rat was of a much, much younger age, he’d always been a burden on all the Moon Children and Androids alike. A spy hired by the Agency, Rat had always dug around places he had no business digging around in, and it was hardly surprising to Nines that he’d actually lived through it all over the years.

Eyeing his overall appearance now, Nines huffed in disgust, “I can’t say you’ve aged well…”

Rat’s skin was almost a strange yellow shade, and he had a lot of wrinkles in comparison to the last time Nines had seen him. Rat had a long, dark brown colored mustache, and it was dirtied and sullied over with dirt and mud, given how he’d rolled about in the stuff. Saliva dripped from his lower lip, and Nines felt himself growing sick just looking at the pathetic state the man was in.

Trembling still, the rat whispered, “P-please don’t h-hurt me…”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t,” Nines countered evenly, and he watched as the rat’s pupils dilated slightly. “You and I both know you won’t tell me the truth,” he continued when he knew he had the rat’s attention, “so why don’t I just put you out of your pathetic excuse for a miserable existence now while I can?” To further add onto that threat, Nines fished out a long, thick knife, and he brandished it before the rat’s eyes.

Cowering from it, the rat whimpered in a high-pitched tone. “N-nooo!!! Just w-wait!!”

Nines fought the urge to puke. “Wait for what? A second chance?” he laughed, “you’re lucky I haven’t already taken your head off, Rat.”

“I c-can—”

Tearing him away from the tee trunk, Nines shoved him over rocks and jagged boulders. Yes, his intent was to badly bruise and damage the rat; just enough so he would talk. Before the thin man had a chance to recover from the nasty and fatal blows, Nines rolled him over onto his back, and he decked him roughly across the jaw. He cried out, and Nines kicked him in the ribs, “TALK!”

Of course, that didn’t make a difference; the rat merely spat out blood as he screamed out, “F-fuck you!!!”

Fine. It looked like it was time to ‘play rough’.

While he spat out blood continuously, Nines punched him a few more times in the mouth, and he knew he’d chipped the man’s sharp teeth. One of them cracked directly under the pressure, and the rat held up a hand to shield himself from the onslaught of violent beatings. 

As if that would make a difference.

“Get up!” Nines hoisted him to his feet once more, and he rammed his knee up into his sternum. Android parts met bone, and something crunched terribly. The rat wheezed and nearly stopped breathing, but Nines knew he wasn’t seriously injured to the point where he would die.

Good.

Kicking him to the side, Nines clawed at his long hair, and he screamed down into his ear while he lay him flatly on his chest, “Why did you search my car???”

The rat coughed out bits of dirt and leaves, his skin dirtied and stained with the mud as he lay coiled beneath Nines’ thick, heavy boots. Holding him down firmly, Nines began stepping over the center of his back. He felt the man’s spine, but it didn’t matter; he added more weight.

Groaning, the rat barely managed to hiss out, “Th-the…the boy!!!”

“WHAT BOY!??!”

Nines knew what he was talking about; he just refused to believe it. He chose to yell again, “TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME!!”

He felt how the rat struggled beneath his boot, and he lifted his head up and turned to peek over at him. His lips were swollen, bloodied, and his face was as red and bloodshot. He took in mouthfuls of air, coughed, and then cleared his throat. Nothing but blood poured out of his mouth, however, but he held himself through it all as he whispered with a shaky breath, “The d-damn b-b-brat y-you’re w-w-with…” taking in a deep breath, he tried continuing, but then Nines sprang into action.

Knowing he’d been referring to Gavin made his thirium boil. He saw nothing but murder, death, war, and violence, now. Holding the rat up so his feet dangled a few inches above the ground, Nines threw him into a pile of low-hanging branches and bushes. Bounding after him, he wielded the knife, but the rat kept screaming when he saw it flashing before his eyes.

“Y-YOU C-C-CAN’T!!! I D-D-DON’T KNOW ANYM-M-MORE!!! I’VE T-T-TOLD YOU EVERYTH-THING I KNOW!!!!!!”

LED light red, Nines cocked his head down at him. “I don’t care.”

Before he could tear the rat apart limb from limb, Nines had been so angry and infuriated to even notice the sharp piece of glass the rat held tightly in his right fist. While Nines yanked him up, ready to bury his knife inside his warm flesh, the rat held his hand down and kept it out of Nines’ line of vision.

They sneered at each other; one of them battered and beyond recognition, the other perfectly clean and organized with a presentable appearance.

While he stared deeply into those beady eyes that had caused him nothing but pain and havoc, Nines whispered under his breath, “Send my regards to the Agency, Rat.” Drawing back his hand, he’d been ready to plunge the knife deeply, but then he felt a searing sharp pain entering into his system.

Eyes wider than golf balls, Nines gasped out like a choking man. He nearly dropped the rat, but he swayed about, barely managing to keep them both on the ground while he stared down at where the pain seemed to be coming from. His eyes located a sharp, thin glass-like object buried deeply into his sternum, right where his thirium pump regulator was located inside himself. The object the rat had stabbed him with wasn’t a knife, however; it was a special object only members of the Agency had developed and used in order to quickly force shut down and deactivate a rouge, wild agent who wouldn’t obey them anymore. He’d never seen it used before in his entire creation, but he’d heard tales of it being administered to wild agents in the past. Wasn’t it always just a horror story? Like tales of the Boogeyman or the Loch Ness Monster??

No…the ‘Advanced Stasis Stagnation’ device-as the Agency called it-was now buried deeply within his skin, and it was slowly doing what its namesake deemed for it to always have done; sending androids into an advanced state of ‘permanent’ stasis.

The object was shiny, and it resembled a long fountain pen. It was see-through and transparent, with the sharp tip embedded beneath Nines’ layer of human flesh. A tiny blue pulse-like flash emanated from the end of it sticking up, and while it did, Nines’ skin quickly deactivated and activated multiple times. He went back and forth between looking like a human to looking exactly like an android without its human skin, and his LED light blinked all sorts of random colors. His eyes rolled back into his head, and his limbs tightened and locked while he stood frozen. All he could do was gasp as he felt helpless.

Standing before him, the rat chuckled as he wiped his bloodied lips with the back of a hand. Waving a finger in Nines’ face, he taunted the android. “S-see? I f-fucking told you all th-those years ago that you’d only end up k-killing yourself, Agent Nines,” shaking his head, he sighed, “I w-wish you listened to me back then…”

While he could hear Rat, Nines saw all sorts of numbers and codes in odd colors flashing before his eyes. They were no doubt warning signs, but he’d never seen them before and couldn’t even begin to do more to asses and run a self-test.

 **Error!! Error! ERROR!**  
**C903vveCode-X543119393 Maintenance. Check. Check.**  
**000192920**  
**50%8**8344445%%**  
**RK900FORCESHUTDOWN**  
**ERROR!!!ERROR!**  
**X0290-492389389 JULY2039.JULY2039.JULY2039.JULY2039.JULY2039.JULY2039**

His head and thirium pump regulator were hurting him beyond belief, but there was nothing he could do. His eyes remained frozen on Rat, and he watched helplessly as the man fixed his hair while pacing from side-to-side a little. “You sh-should’ve just kept the boy out of th-this, Agent!!” he screamed out as he spat more blood out of his mouth down by their feet, “th-this is all your damn fault!!!”

Refusing to believe it, Nines barely managed to moan in pain. He wanted to voice his thoughts, but he was a prisoner; trapped in his own body and mind. There was nothing he could do.

Chuckling nervously, Rat bent down to pick up the gun that had fallen out of Nines’ pocket when they’d been fighting, and as he stared down at the weapon with his squinty eyes, he laughed. “I g-guess this m-means goodbye, Agent Nines,” Rat sighed, and then stood back up slowly. “I didn’t want it t-to be this way…just know that.”

Rat was gaining distance, and Nines felt his vision turning dark and blurry.

 **500000……..600007070030303…..**  
**ZEN**9000030095955**  
**ERR-ERR---**  
**July.2039.July.2039.**  
**ERR---**  
**CODE!!!!**  
**239059090596-06w0238427492734937849238!!!!!!!!**  
**H…………..2039**  
**THA…….**  
**6% -29% x1023.40586!**  
**ERROR!!!!!!!!!!**

Before the world completely turned dark, and before the gun pressed against the center of his forehead could’ve been fired, Nines suddenly saw an image of Gavin Reed before his eyes.

_He’s waiting for you…he’s holding out on the hope that you haven’t abandoned him and forgotten him…do it for him, Nines!!!!! Do it for Gavin Reed!!!!!_

………

**“Let me out.”**

He pushed and pushed and pushed at the walls and bindings holding his mind down. Feeling as though he’d been caught in the strongest quagmire, Nines pushed back, and he knew he was met with resistance. Pain was all he felt, and although foreign and alien to him, he welcomed it as he pushed and fought more.

Gavin was smiling at him…Gavin needed him…he needed Gavin…

Letting out a scream, Nines blasted through the walls, one by one.

Slamming through them like sharp glass, he knew he’d crossed the threshold, and even though he couldn’t see anything, he could feel. He felt the pain, he felt the wind blowing around them, and he felt the first drops of rain crashing down on top of his skull.

Cold…it was so, so very cold…

Something warm and wet suddenly splashed all over his hands, and it wasn’t his own thirium.

Through the use of his hands, he knew he’d worked up the stamina and strength needed to grab a hold of his blade. Not only had he done that successfully, but he’d jammed it forward, burying it and letting it rest deeply in the lower abdomen of Rat.

Painful cries and moans were heard, and Nines felt relieved, even in his sorry state.

It was done.

He fell down to his hands and knees, scrambling around like a blind man along the forest floor. The sounds of hurried feet getting away were followed by the sound of a car engine turning on, and then the tires screeched as they pulled away and headed down the road.

Yes, he was alone and abandoned to suffer in pain, and he knew he was going to die alone. But as he lay on his back and surrendered to his fate, he could only smile as he remembered one thing.

Gavin was safe.

He could die in happiness, now, and he had never felt more ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .......okay, but seriously....NINES!
> 
> And I don't think I need to quote and link the song Connor was singing. EVERYONE and their mother should know what it was! ;)


	15. Invisible Talents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why so many speedy updates?  
> Because I have 3 job interviews lined up next week, and there's no telling when I'll be able to write and upload next Dx  
> Enjoy though! <3

The night gave way to morning. Gavin had definitely slept in more comfortable places than a hidden, secret room behind a fireplace in his lifetime before, but he knew this was for his own good. The same night that Nines had hidden away him away there had passed quickly, and when the dawn came, Gavin peeked through the small crack in the room to find that the cabin on the other side was still empty.

Nines was still gone???

Judging by the sounds of the birds earlier that morning, and then the rumbling and booming thunder, Gavin wagered at least four hours had gone by without the android having made a return. Now, he was truly worried.

What could have happened to keep Nines?!? Wasn’t Nines was skilled in surviving and fighting?? What if someone more skilled had caught him?? What if he was hurt?!

His overactive mind conjured up all sorts of detrimental things and scenarios, and Gavin really began to panic. He knew Nines had told him to wait for him, but this was taking way too long. It was already raining heavily, and it was bound to get worse. There was no way he was going to stay here all alone, listening to the gusts of wind howling about in the darkness. He had to be of more use than running away and hiding, and he vowed to do that. He vowed to help Nines just as Nines had helped him.

Gavin still felt scared, as he hadn’t even ever been in a fight at school before. But these were grown men who killed for a damn living. He was up against mercenaries and assassins! That frightened him into nearly remaining tucked away and hidden, but he still valued Nines deeply. He knew he’d not only been forming a close bond and friendship with the tall, mysterious android, but now, he was also having deep romantic feelings for the dour android as well. No way was he going to abandon that and let it go; not without a fight, anyway.

He needed Nines to come back to him and be okay. He hoped for it and prayed for it as he pushed his shoulders along the thick wall of the secret passageway. At first, it wouldn’t budge, but that wasn’t going to stop Gavin. He wasn’t one to give up on anything, and remembering his father’s words even now, he fought and struggled harder and harder with the door, kicking and bashing away at it with his hands and feet.

“Come on!!” he hollered in the darkness, “let me out of here!!!!”

Not listening to him, the door hardly moved. This caused Gavin to fight back with a passion burning in his veins not unlike rage. His father had often told him that rage was a good thing; it motivated some people, empowered others. Understanding the words of wisdom his sage father had spoken, Gavin threw himself over and over at the door, never once stopping until he heard and felt it budge.

Yes! It truly had moved!! He could see more of the interior of the cabin, and knowing his reward was waiting for him on the other side, he pushed through the burning sensation of pain in his shoulders while he kicked away at the door again.

“I’m not useless or a scared boy, Nines!” he cried out desperately, “I’m gonna show you that right now!!”

As if agreeing with him, the door to the secret hideout finally gave way. Gavin had nearly missed it, first, but then it swung open, and he tumbled out of it, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. The rug beneath his feet shifted, and Gavin nearly slipped and fell on the hardwood floors. Courageously, he picked himself up, and he glanced all around the empty cabin.

“Nines?!?! Nines??? Hello?!?” he called out for the android a few times, running from room to room searching, but he found that it was a gloomy, overcast, dark, and lonely day indeed.

Nines wasn’t here.

Running over towards the front door of the cabin then, the young man unlocked it and threw it open. Immediately, the wind and rain assaulted him coldly, and he shivered while looking around the outside perimeter of the cabin. “NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINES!!!!!!!!!”

No answer, of course, and Gavin felt even worse now that the world around him depicted how alone he was. Staring up at the thick, grey clouds, Gavin inhaled fresh, cool air into his lungs deeply, and noted that the sky was growing darker by the minute. If he was going to search for Nines, he couldn’t do it in the dark.

Turning around swiftly, he whispered out loud to himself, “A flashlight!!” Every cabin likely had an extra one for emergencies, and he was bound to find it somehow, somewhere.

He hadn’t seen it in the living room, the kitchen, or in any of the bedrooms, unfortunately. After five minutes of thorough searching, Gavin had made quite the mess as he threw out towels, clothes, sheets, and other items out of closets and out from beneath the beds. He searched shelves, drawers, night tables, and beneath every sink and cupboard he could find.

Still, nothing.

“DAMN IT!” he cried out when his patience had run thin, “where is it?!??!”

Thinking it all over quickly, he mentally checked off which places he’d searched more thoroughly than others. He’d gone through the dining room, kitchen, bathroom…

But there was the medicine cabinet!!! He hadn’t checked that at all, yet!!!!

Tearing down the hall towards it, Gavin held the hopes in his heart high that it would be there. Wasting no time, he turned on the bathroom light as rain and leaves slammed against the windows. Ignoring it all, he opened the medicine cabinet, and he stared into it while blinking rapidly.

His efforts and battle had been rewarded, indeed; the flashlight was there right beside the First Aid kit.

Snatching it up in his arms while cheering for joy, Gavin finally headed out the door of the cabin. Putting on a burst of speed matching that of the wind, Gavin had renewed hopes soaring through his heart and veins, and he wasn’t going to stop until he had been rewarded for the second time that day.

It was time to find Nines.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Hank watched in irritation as Connor searched through the glove compartment of his vehicle. He knew the android was searching for the rest of his cigarettes, no doubt, but he grinned in triumph. He’d hidden them well.

Connor growled under his breath as he threw out old papers, receipts, loose change, and wrappers. He clearly was unable to find what he’d been searching for, and it infuriated him to no end. Giving up for a moment, he sat back in the passenger’s seat while Hank drove them back home. “Where are they?” Connor snapped at Hank, clearly not in the mood for this ‘game’.

Resisting the urge to break out in light giggles, Hank smirked, “Where’s what?”

When Connor frowned deeply, Hank knew the android was beyond pissed. His eyes even looked a shade darker, and he shook his head as he lightly kicked at the bottom of the car. “Stop messing around with me, Hank!”

Hank gaped at him, despite laughing internally. He yanked down the rearview mirror when he noticed it was a tad crooked. “What do you mean ‘messing around’,” he couldn’t help but include the small giggle in his voice, this time.

Growling deeply, Connor resumed his search for the cigarette cartons. He pawed through Hank’s items, rifling one-by-one through the ‘garbage’ and useless bits, and when he’d searched towards the back of the glove compartment, his fingers swiped and fished over another wrapper. It lightly crinkled against his grip, and he squinted as he peered deeply inside the glove compartment. “What the—” yanking the items out, he held them up before his own eyes, and he gasped when he read over the wrapper.

“CONDOMS?!?!?!?” he all but screamed in surprise, “HANK ANDERSON!!! WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE THESE?!?!?!”

Blushing deeply, Hank cleared his throat while simultaneously trying to hold back rounds of laughter. “Uuumm, hehe,” he shrugged as he ran a hand down the back of his heated, sweaty neck, “th-those are…ummm…”

“Durex: Extra Sensitive, Extra Lubricated?!?!” Connor read over one wrapper, and then grabbed another condom wrapper. “And this one’s ‘Invisible Ultra-Thin’?!?!” Nearly choking on the words in shock, Connor waved one of the condoms in Hank’s face wildly and desperately, eyebrows rising high on his brow. “HANK!!!! WHAT DO YOU NEED THESE FOR!?!?”

Sputtering, Hank felt nothing short of embarrassment as he stopped the car at a red light and intersection. He waved a hand in the air while screaming, “God damn it, Connor! Why’d you have to go and be so weird all the time? Huh?!?” He knew his cheeks were aflame, and he wanted to just rush home and hide under his bed. Leave it to Connor to make him feel like a fourteen-year-old kid again caught jerking off by his parents, or something equally as mortifying!

Pointing at himself, Connor croaked out, “ _I’m_ weird??? _I’m_ the one who’s weird?!?” he threw the condoms at Hank angrily, but Hank cleverly ducked out of the way.

In a flash, the Lieutenant nodded, “ _You’re_ the one touching my things and asking strange questions!! Sheesh!!” Couldn’t a man get some privacy for once??? Sure, he’d accepted the possibility and fact of life that Connor was sometimes a big snoop, and now that they were closer than work partners, Connor had a nasty habit of going through things that weren’t his concern. Hank only wished his sex life-or lack thereof-would be off-limits to the RK800! That wasn’t too much to ask for!!! Was it???

Grinding his teeth together while gripping the steering wheel tightly, Hank stared up ahead at the intersection lights, and he cringed. A family of five were crossing the street, and they had a stroller, two dogs, as well as an elderly man along with them. It was going to be a long wait.

Turning back to Connor, he shrugged again. “I don’t see what the deal is, Connor! A guy has to be responsible, you know?”

Connor threw him a dull look that completely conveyed the message. No, he didn’t know.

Awkward.

Clearing his throat, Hank prayed the family would hurry up. He felt his cheeks turning bright pink already, and he felt even more younger and totally like he’d been caught by a relative or parent. Actually, truth be told, he remembered the first time his father found out he was sexually active at the age of fifteen, and the huge lecture that had followed was just brutal. Now, Connor seemed to be making him relive it, and he hated it!!!

“I’m _still_ waiting for your answer!” Connor barked out at him, and Hank leapt up in his seat.

Right…

Knowing there wasn’t any other way around this, Hank stared across the street once more, and he saw that the wife was now almost at the curb and sidewalk, tending to one of her children who were crying very loudly.

A sharp slap in the arm brought his attention back to Connor. The RK800 glared at him, LED light red as he cried out, “Can you stop looking at that bitch?!?!”

Oh dear.

Hank recognized a jealous person—err, android when he saw one. While the look he’d been giving the woman across the street hadn’t even been remotely of sexual or romantic interest, he supposed that to Connor, it somehow was. On any other day, he would’ve truly laughed. The android really was indeed pissed and jealous. His dark brown eyes narrowed into tiny, suspicious, slits of hatred and contempt, and his neck and chest were stiff as he glared at Hank.

Trying to hold back his laughter before Connor got even more irate, Hank sighed out, “Connor, most guys usually carry the damn things; it’s not uncommon!”

“Whatever for??! You never go out!!”

Accurate.

Hank still frowned. “No need to rub it in my face, Connor,” he hissed out dejectedly, “I just keep them here in case I happen to need them!!!”

Staring once more at the wrapper, Connor suddenly smiled. He lifted up a finger, then, and it stuck up high like a flagpole. “Wait a minute!” turning the wrapper over, he gasped, and then his eyes turned bright, and his LED light beamed blue.

Hank’s tension rose, and his gut stirred. “What is it?!?!”

Connor breathed out a sigh of relief. “These are expired! There’s no way on Earth you can use them, now!!!” Turning a cheerful, bright smile over at his work partner, he ignored how Hank grumbled and growled.

“Fuckin’ androids,” Hank groused, and then the light turned green.

Finally.

It was time to get moving, but the moment Hank let go of the brake pedal, something bright, flashy, and moving at an incredibly high speed zoomed and zipped by. It was moving with such a rapid speed, that it brushed along the right side of the car. The lane next to their own had been empty and vacant, but it didn’t matter. Whoever the driver of the new car was, they crashed right into the passenger side, and the vehicles rubbed and slammed against each other. Connor lunged forward, but he reacted quickly by hooking his hands onto the dashboard of the car.

The entire vehicle jolted forward, and as Hank screamed out in fear, Connor pointed at the back of the vehicle that had zipped by. “It doesn’t have a license plate, Hank!!!”

Catching that minor detail at the last minute, Hank practically stomped on the gas pedal. “I’M ON IT!!! HANG ONTO SOMETHING, CONNOR!!!”

The android did as he was told, and Hank drove the car forward. He hadn’t been on a high-speed car chase in almost well over a decade, and it boiled his blood in both a bad way, but also in sheer excitement. He felt so young again as he tailed the car as best as he could. The driver must’ve been under some kind of influence; they were unable to drive in a straight line, and they kept smashing into other cars, poles, trees, and anything else in sight. They would’ve likely killed someone, and Hank’s need and desire to protect the innocent rose high above his instincts for self-preservation, even.

“Speed up!!! We’re losing him!” Connor cried out as he sat up in his seat, and Hank drove on even faster.

Swerving every time the driver did, Hank was trying to keep up with the unpredictability while also making sure they were both safe, as well as other cars and pedestrians around them on the road. Frowning ahead as the driver leaned their car to the right, and then the left lane awkwardly, Hank growled out, “What the fuck is this son of a bitch’s problem?!?!”

In his time as a younger cop, Hank had tracked down a lot of people driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, but something in his gut told him there was something deeper and incredibly wrong about this entire situation. Honking loudly at the driver, Hank rolled down his window, stuck his head out, and yelled, “STOP!!!! THIS IS YOUR LAST GOD DAMN CHANCE!!!! STOOOOOOP!!!”

Obviously the driver didn’t listen; they swerved again to the left, making a rather nasty cut as they turned down a new street.

Hank switched lanes, and he knew he was driving rather aggressively. His tires practically made screeching sounds along the pavement, and even Connor looked nervous while gripping the dashboard and leaning ahead. His LED light turned yellow, and his eyes turned a lighter color. He was probably scanning the driver ahead of them, and Hank fought hard to inch their car closer so the deed could be done.

After a moment, Connor hissed out, “Fuck…he’s wounded!!”

Hank frowned, “Huh??? The driver?!?”

“YES!” Connor roared, and he pointed ahead, “keep up!! He’s been stabbed!!!”

Senses blaring and thoughts on overdrive, Hank zoomed up as quickly as he could, not even once taking his foot off the gas pedal. He honked loudly, and a few other cars beside the injured driver moved to the side of the road, quickly getting out of the way while they got the hint.

Hank pulled up to the driver’s side, and while his window was still rolled down, he squinted as he glared ahead at the dark, tinted windows. “PULL OVER!!! GOD DAMN IT!!!” he waved frantically and pointed at the driver, but they weren’t even looking at him. “I SAID PULL THE FUCK OVER!!”

Suddenly, Connor screamed out at him in a loud warning, “HANK!!!! STOOOOP!!!! WE’RE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR A TREE!!!”

Before Hank had time to react, Connor dove to his side, and in a miracle’s grace, he grabbed onto the steering wheel. Quickly maneuvering the car out of the way in the nick of time, Connor turned to the left, and instead of crashing directly into the tree, they pulled over to the front lawn of a random house. Meanwhile, the car they’d been closely chasing didn’t make it in time. The driver smashed directly head-on into the tree, and the car’s windows and windshield broke into a thousand pieces.

Smoke immediately fired up from the engine, and while the tree trunk slightly bent back, Hank stopped the car. “I’m getting out!” he announced, and he grabbed his gun when Connor handed it to him.

“Hank! Be careful!!!”

Pressing an index finger over his lips, Hank inched his way towards the car. He bent down as low as he could, trying not to be seen by the driver, Hank fanned and brushed aside the heavy, thick clouds of smoke rising steadily from the bust-up vehicle. He heard and saw the homeowners opening the front door of their property, peeking out as they gazed ahead to survey the damage on their front yard.

Before they could run out in fear, Hank waved at them and whispered, “I’m with the police!! Get back in your home, now!!!”

Connor also flashed them I.D., and they closed the door swiftly once they caught on. Now that they were left alone, Connor and Hank crept up closer and closer to the car. Hank held his gun tightly in his hands, his fingers and arms trembling. Hiding well how nervous and frightened he really was, Hank stayed down low on the grass while he coughed out the smoke and toxic fumes from his lungs.

It was no use; he couldn’t see much of anything. Knowing he needed help, he spun around to face Connor. “Can you see him?”

Quickly shaking his head ‘no’, Connor led the way, and he stopped right before a cloud of smoke and fire rising steadily from the front of the vehicle.

The grass was singed, now, and Hank coughed harder as he tapped on the driver’s side of the door. The window was cracked, and he couldn’t see much of anything himself, even. They were both touching the handle of the car door, now, and as they exchanged knowing looks, Hank held up a finger.

One.

Two.

Three.

At once, they both yanked open the driver door, and once they peered inside the damaged car, they let out groans of utter disappointment.

The driver had fled.

Hank screamed in frustration, lowering his gun as he kicked at the car. “Where the fuck did he go?!?!?”

“Hank!!” Connor cried out, and he then grabbed tightly onto Hank’s shoulder while simultaneously scanning the seat of the car. “There’s traces of blood!” he dipped a finger into the thick, viscous puddle, but before he could bring it up to his mouth to taste, Hank slapped his hand down.

Grabbing Connor by the collar of his shirt, Hank mapped out the traces of blood droplets all over the grass. “He’s left a trail for us, Connor!! Let’s go!!!”

As they sped away, they heard ambulance sirens and police car sirens blaring off in the distance. Running away as quickly as he could, Hank prayed his body wouldn’t fail and let him down. They needed to find the driver before the DPD did, and if they had any hope of learning something from this incident, the driver needed to be alive when they found him.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Gavin wasn’t fearful of the sun setting or the darkness. He’d been out in the wilderness long enough to navigate his way, and he’d never run into danger or any problems before. But this was different…time wasn’t on his side, and he was worried sick that something awful had happened to Nines. The deadly android had been the apex predator, and he’d proven his skills and prowess numerous times to Gavin without even really exerting himself. But how was it that the evening sun was slowly setting, and he still had yet to return??

Something had to be terribly wrong…

Charging forth bravely as he could, Gavin felt his lifeline thrumming and coursing through his veins. He was tired, hungry, thirsty, sweaty, in great amounts of pain, terror, and he wanted to go home. He hadn’t checked his phone in a while, and he knew it’d run out of battery a long time ago. Not having a charger with him worried him greatly; his parents had probably tried calling a hundred times over in great fear. Everyone was likely worried sick, and yet here he was, wandering in the middle of the woods crying his eyes out as he called repeatedly for Nines.

Why wasn’t Nines answering??? Had he abandoned him?!?

Oh god…please…he hoped not…

His anxiety levels were increasing, and he didn’t want to have a panic attack out here. No. He couldn’t run the risk of getting lost as well; not without Nines protecting him.

Throwing his head back, Gavin cupped his hands around his mouth and cried out as loudly as his lungs allowed him to. “NIIIIIIIIIIIIIINES!!!!”

Upon hearing his loud cries echoing and ringing about, a few crows and birds flew up out of their nests. They cawed loudly, as if protesting Gavin’s noises. The young man didn’t care, however; he was on a mission to find Nines before it really grew too dark. The rain had stilled and grown gentle the longer he’d been out, and he felt grateful that at least the natural elements had been kinder on him. Still, he stumbled and tripped multiple times over on his own feet, landing roughly on the dirt and rocks. He’d scraped his palms a few times, but he didn’t care. Pressing on, he cried out to Nines over and over, and he felt his heart sinking down deeply in the pit of his belly when he didn’t hear a single response.

Maybe he truly had been abandoned after all. He had always been a burden!! Everyone at school had told him!!! Heather had even mentioned it at one point!! The true reason why he was always alone, single, and unloved was because people couldn’t stand him! He was nothing; a nobody!!! No one wanted and needed him around, and Nines was just being kind until he’d had his fill!!!

“NOOOOOOO!”

Gavin shook his head, refusing to believe his own wild thoughts. His imagination was likely running wild due to the stress of worrying!

Clenching his eyes shut tightly, he screamed out for the entire world to hear, “NIIIIIIIINEEEES!!!”

Just when he thought all hope had truly been lost, Gavin stumbled and nearly tripped over something solid, and he then heard gasping, moaning, and wheezing.

“What the—”

“Gaaaaviiinnn…”

When he’d looked down at whatever it was he’d nearly tripped clumsily over, the last thing on Earth Gavin had been expecting to find was Nines lying down on the forest floor with tons of thirium seeping out of his chest area. The blue liquid leaked and poured down profusely all over Nines’ clothes, and it soon soaked up the grass and mud, making it wet, darker, thicker, and a total mess. Nines clawed at Gavin’s feet, as though desperately begging and pleading for help.

The sight of it all made Gavin crumble down in fear and desolation. He grabbed onto Nines tightly, shaking him as he cried out, “NINES!! WHAT HAPPENED?!?!”

The android wasn’t able to talk, so it seemed. He struggled with words and sentences, and it seemed like he was running out of energy and stamina by the second.

“Gaaavin…you…safe…” Nines coughed out, eyes dark blue and overflowing with emotions while his LED light blinked on and off repeatedly. Gavin didn’t know much about androids, but he knew that the LED light blinking on and off wasn’t a good sign at all. Wondering how he could help, Gavin sputtered and stammered in shock, and he tried righting Nines’ body as he could lay him out flatly on the ground. Helping the android lean against his chest, Gavin leaned against a small tree stump and gently held Nines’ head in his hands.

Trying not to shake the injured creature, Gavin lowered his voice as he blinked away both tears and cold raindrops. “Nines!! Who did this to you?!?!?” He had no idea still where the injury was coming from or what had really happened, but he figured Nines had possibly been shot?

“Nines?”

Shifting while still in his arms, Nines hissed out while a trembling hand covered in thirium rose up along his own chest. “Stabbed…Rat…” he wheezed again, and it made Gavin cry out in vicarious pain. “Must…remove…carefully…”

“Remove what?!?! Nines?!?!?” Hot tears mixed in with cold rainwater, and Gavin cried out in fear. Nines was hardly able to talk, and he felt the cold thirium even leaking onto his own clothing. They were running out of time, and he still had no idea what the hell to do!

Before he really lost control, Gavin managed to gather his words and thoughts to coherently demand, “Please j-just tell me what to do!!!” Anything Nines wanted, he would do!!! Even if it meant carrying him all the way back to the cabin.

Rather than suggest any of those things, Nines held his hand over his chest. Why on Earth was he motioning over there for??? Gavin peered at Nines’ sternum, and in the middle of his panicking, he’d missed a thin, tall, fountain-pen-like object sticking up right out of Nines’ chest. Upon a second glance, however, Gavin noticed it.

Was that what was causing Nines pain??

Gesturing at it then, Gavin hissed, “What’s this?!?! Is it glass?” The moment he made a move to try and pull it out, Nines wheezed loudly, and his android skin switched on. It frightened Gavin since it was so sudden and abrupt, and he screamed out in shock while he nearly dropped Nines back down to the ground. In a brief moment, Gavin saw a weird blue light flashing from the tip and moving all the way to the end of the object, and he then knew he couldn’t touch it. Not without Nines telling him what it was, and what the hell he was required to do in order to remove it.

Groaning, Nines waved his hand, but then he must’ve lost his stamina and energy. His arm plopped limply down on the ground, and he winced while hissed out with great amounts of difficulty, “The…sensory…overload…h-help…me…Gaaaaavin!”

“I’m trying to!” Gavin cried out wearily, “please j-just tell me wh-what that is, Nines!!!”

Shaking his head so he could at least try and look at the younger male, Nines pushed out very slowly, “Look…lights…green…good…pull…out…when…green…”

Although he was freaking out, Gavin composed himself enough to push aside his wet hair, and then he held his flashlight tightly in his hands. He needed it, now, as it was definitely a lot darker than it had been even twenty minutes ago. He didn’t need to fail and make a mistake at this. One mistake could mean the end for Nines…

NO!! He needed to be positive!!!! This was why he always—

Nines held down over his hand, and he hissed out in pain while Gavin eyed the object deeply embedded in his chest. “Gaaaaviiiin…”

The younger male nodded at Nines hurriedly. “I think I g-got it, Nines!” he held his flashlight with one hand, and then rest the other over the sharp glass-like pen. “Green means ‘go’; pull it out when the light flashes ‘green’ only!!” It sounded quite simple, but something in Gavin’s gut told him there was a lot more to it than that.

There always was.

Eyeing both Nines and the object with a great air of caution, Gavin whispered in a panicked breath, “It’s n-n-not gonna be th-th-that simple, is it??”

Nines looked down at his blue chest and he winced. “N-no…the…light…m-moves…fast…” sitting as still as he could, he then whispered, “…be…p-prepared…must…b-b-be…green…”

When the android had repeated that instruction, Gavin found he had a question already burning in his mind. What would happen if he removed it on another color??? Taking time then to study the colors flashing from the sharp, transparent object, he saw that four colors seemed to flash by. Blue, green, orange, and red. Each color no doubt held something significant and important, and Gavin wanted to ask about them…if only they had more time…

Gritting his teeth together, Gavin knew his hands were trembling. “O-okay,” he stammered while nearly dropping the flashlight, “on g-green!!”

Nines’ eyes slowly started closing, and Gavin knew he had to keep his eyes and mind focused on the colors.

One.

Two.

Three.

Red.

Blue.

Orange.

Green.

That seemed to be the set pattern, and Gavin waited for it to go through one more cycle before he confirmed it. As long as the pattern of flashing colors didn’t change, perhaps they would be able to do this!!!

Internally preparing himself, he didn’t even blink as he waited for red to mold into blue, and then orange was soon to follow. Even Nines appeared to try and be helping out in his own way; he stayed as still as possible, and he didn’t even look at Gavin. Perhaps looking was going to stress him out…

While waiting for the light to flash green, Gavin only peeked up for one second at Nines. One second was all it took before Nines hissed, “Watch…out!!”

“What??”

There it was.

The light was turning green!!!

Gavin yanked back on the object, but in his haste, he hadn’t heard Nines’ warning. The words had come out so softly, so gently, and so weakly, that in his panicked mode, Gavin never heard them. The darkness surrounding them made it all worse, and when Gavin had leapt back after yanking out the dangerous object from Nines’ body, he’d failed to catch it on time.

Nines saw it, however.

Gavin hadn’t yanked out the object right on the green light. No…it was still mostly on orange, and his eyes had played tricks on him. The millisecond he’d yanked it out was when the flashing color had been half-way between green and orange.

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Nines could only cry out in terror, pain, and madness as the night and dark engulfed and entrapped him. Like a quagmire and bottomless pit, he was falling, and falling, and sinking, and sinking. Just how deep was it???

He didn’t know; all he knew was great pain, reverent terror, misery, and despair.

When he hit rock-bottom, he felt he was floating and swimming in a numbing and sizzling heat. He couldn’t see anything, he couldn’t feel anything, and soon, the heavy, thick darkness swallowed him whole.

Loud noises echoed and slammed into his audio receptors at every side and angle, and when he fought hard to push back against it before he went mad, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Soon, Nines was yanked through it all. It was like being on a lifeline, and someone else held all the power to pull him through…

When he landed on the other side of war, terror, and horror, Nines felt himself rolling through time and air. He was moving, but he wasn’t able to grasp anything. Landing suddenly roughly and violently onto the bottom of a deep, dark hole, he curled into a small fetal position. Opening his eyes slowly, he felt that the first thing he needed to do was scan and survey his surroundings.

But he couldn’t!!!

All he saw was darkness…no…he definitely wasn’t alone, here!!!

A warm voice that wasn’t entirely foreign to him soon greeted him.

“Hello, Agent Nines…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....I'm sorry for this cliffhanger.  
> But hey, if it is any consolation, it's looking like I gotta get out the Connor x Hank tag ;)


	16. Let's Talk

‘Explanation Chapter’

So, you’ll notice that I’ve actually posted two 2 TWWWWOOO chapters this week. This is one of them, I mean, haha, and the next one is continuing with our story as usual. However, I posted this ‘note’ because I have a sneaking suspicion *author’s intuition, some would say!* that the next chapter will _reeeallllyyy_ confuse a lot of people. Rather than having to answer the same question 100 times over *not that I don’t love talking to you guys, but you gotta get where I’m coming from* I figured I’d just write a darn good author note *cough, I HOPE* and later, if people still have questions, I will be more than happy to answer them!!!

As the previous chapter implied, someone else is with Nines in his ‘black world’ which is actually his conscience. You’ll later read on *SPOILER ALERT* what Amanda has to say about it, and how she herself defines it, and it’s honestly how _she_ interprets it. I don’t want anyone getting confused and saying: ‘Your story has supernatural elements in it!’ because that’s not the case. Whatever Amanda is believing and experiencing is honestly based on her OWN perceptions, and far from the reality of the situation.

By the way, if this author note will make more sense to read AFTER you’ve read over the actual chapter update, that’s fine, just click ‘next chapter’, and then come back to this. I just posted it first so it would stand out before people dive into the story with big question marks. Up to you how you choose to proceed, though!

Anyway, continuing on!!

Nines basically has what we would call ‘split personality’. He’s not mental, he’s not crazy, he’s not insane, and he’s not imagining things. He’s literally talking to himself, arguing with himself, struggling within himself, but it is real in _his_ world, and it is now going to be even affecting Gavin. Basically, there are 2 versions of Nines.

Yes, you read that correctly.

There are 2 versions.

I’m not saying there are 2 separate beings as ‘Nines’ existing out there in the au of this story; I’m literally saying that the Nines we will soon read about in the next chapter _is_ the _same_ Nines we all have been loving and enjoying since chapter 1. But you’ll notice he is different in his appearance, how he sounds, and even how he treats others and Gavin.

Why?

As I said, he is another version of Nines.

Basically, long story short, since we all understand Nines is actually both a coldblooded assassin and a compassionate, gentle lover *with Gavin*, he is actually able to carry out both these personality traits because of this other version living within himself. This personality was dormant for some time, but now, it is awake. (Kind of like Lady Maria vs. the Plain Doll in Bloodborne since one is nurturing, and the other one is obviously a skilled warrior)

 

   

 

I hope it’s making sense, but if it isn’t, think of it like this: Since Nines himself at his very core is honestly loving and kind so as to keep Gavin alive, fight for him, protect him, guard him, and he even loves, values, and respects Amanda and calls her ‘Mother’, there’s no way he could be 100% cruel and evil. A few people were even asking me this, but they basically asked: So how is Nines nice and gentle with Amanda and Gavin, yet was easily able to kill the convenient store owner, nearly killed Hank, and probably would’ve killed Connor?

Very easy.

Because of the other version that exists within him to be able to carry out these brutal murders. Basically, Nines has something of a ‘dual’ personality, and I chose to tag it in my story so people would be aware of it coming up. I did a lot of research into a lot of cases regarding even serious serial killers and murderers, and a lot of them reported and were interviewed saying whenever they committed their horrible crimes, they felt as though it wasn’t done by their own hand…kind of like someone or something else was possessing them and causing these things to happen. *The Otaku Killer was notorious for this*

So, how does this fit in with Nines?

Again, this new ‘part’ of Nines that co-exists with the more compassionate kind happens to be the one committing the murders, battling, remaining vigilant, strong, and deadly. He has a tendency to reveal himself at times whenever Nines is brutally slaughtering someone, but I would say that 'bloodthirsty' side has always been dampened by at least 75%, otherwise, Nines would run around killing without stopping even once. But we know he does not, and it has a lot to do with the fact that he’s able to bury and hide away this aspect of himself, that is, until Gavin accidentally let him out, if you will.

Sorry if this is all confusing, but I think people will be able to understand it when they read the actual chapter, and then maybe come back to this once more for reflection. But I wanted to explain it as best as I could, because I am positive at least a few people will wonder where on earth I am taking the plot, and why I am writing shit like this. I’ll admit; it IS kind of confusing when you think about it, but it made sense to me to write it this way because logically, it made no sense for Nines to be so menacing, bloodthirsty, and then switching all of a sudden to loving, nurturing, friendly, kind (not without a good reason).

Nope.

So, enter this other ‘half’, or his ‘evil twin’, if you will. This part of Nines is what I’d like to refer to as the ‘killer or warrior half’, and the Nines we’ve seen up until this point is the more ‘nurturing and loving half’. Amanda obviously referred to this previously, and if you go back a few chapters when Nines was having a flashback, it’s what she meant when she told him: ‘You have to learn to control your killer instinct’. This is what she was saying in his dreams and memories, but as you will read on, she believes it to be a whole other entity, and at best, something possessing Nines.

Nines has ‘repressed’ and buried this ‘warrior’ half for a long time, and I’m being sincere right now in saying we’ve never really seen it before. I never dropped any major hints to it UNLESS you know how I write and read between my lines! Through the flashbacks, we can actually determine that Nines did something quite brutal. Hell, even Rat said it, as did the night intruder in the cabin. Whatever this horrific event was that took place, it obviously left a scar or mark on our beloved android. Unable to cope with his guilt, Nines cast it aside, but he had a duty to fulfill. So how did he do what he did? The other side of his killer instinct. 

It doesn’t end there, however, and we know Nines is on a quest of sorts to gain his memories back after he repressed them. He did this namely because at his very core, he’s a protagonist in our story. Needless to say, he had to get rid of that ruthless murderous side of himself because he couldn’t bear it anymore. He couldn’t stomach what he was doing, and he simply refused to be desensitized to all that senseless killing. This side of Nines-as bad as it is-unfortunately doesn’t seem to want to stop killing, and there’s a HUGE part of old Japanese lore I used *in the case of Amanda’s dialogue* to explain it. SPOILERS!

Also, there’s a lot of points in the story and segments where I refer to this ‘other half’ as ‘Agent Nines’. The reason for this is because the ‘Agent’ that we know Nines to be-the cold, cruel, calculating, and murderer- _is_ this very same entity. I also had to name his other half as such to set out the differences between them both when they engage in discussion.

Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up, because I believe it COULD potentially confuse a lot of people into thinking that Nines has gone haywire, but essentially, this warrior half only resurfaced because of the mess-up (which was unintentional on Gavin’s part) when he was removing that creepy device Rat stabbed into Nines’ chest. As soon as he tried removing it, unfortunately, his timing was off, and he unleashed the ‘warrior’ seeking blood.

That’s the bad news, but the good news is that since the color of the device was a mix-up of orange and green, Nines (the ‘nurturing half) is STILL in SOME amounts of control. It’s not a lot, but I did this to create more conflict directly between the ‘killer’ Nines, and the ‘loving’ Nines. The only person Nines has to now ‘fight’ and ‘control’ is himself, and he has to do this to protect Gavin from himself. As such, this is the rather ‘sad’ and conflicting dichotomy of Nines as an ‘Agent’ of death and murder, but also as a protector and lover/friend.  I would honestly go into more details by using 'Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower' from 'Bloodborne' (featured in the gifs) as a means of comparison since she has 2 sides to her personality as well, even in relation to her spirit being tied to the Plain Doll (sorry about the spoilers if you have not played the game lol) but we would be here all week long.

  
Deep, philosophical shit!!!!!

Just kidding, but all that aside, that’s what is basically going to be going on for a few chapters, and there’s a whole lot of tea and conflict coming up for Nines and Gavin!

I hope this wasn’t too long and wordy, but I was trying to lay it all out in a succinct manner. Hope I was able to get that job done, hehe.

Now, you can all enjoy the rest of the story, and as always, feel free to ask any questions you have!!!

Enjoy!


	17. Wishes by Nightfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> P.S. it may help if you read the chapter 'Let's Talk' before OR after this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING!!! MILDLY DUBIOUS SEX, AND HOT SMUT, YEAH!* 🔥🔥🔥💞

“Hello, Agent Nines…fancy seeing you down here after so, so very long.”

Trembling in pure fear, Nines whimpered as he crashed down on his hands and knees, almost bowing in terror and submission. “Please…I d-didn’t…”

“I did.”

Oh god…why had this happened to him??

The last thing he remembered was that Gavin Reed had stumbled upon him and found him halfway between death and life in the forest, and even though it’d instilled new hope in his mind and soul, that very same life and hope had now been sucked clean out of his system. He’d fallen down deeply into his own darkness, and he knew that while it wasn’t Gavin’s fault, this had happened because of their lack of caution.

The orange light was never a good feature. It acted as a ‘reset’ of sorts that brought out the worst of the worst in every agent, but the green was able to carry-over and contain every good part of himself up until this moment in time. But they’d mixed green and orange…an unholy union, indeed.

The figure was hunched over in the darkness, but as he sat immobile, a small sort of a glow hovered around him. When Nines peered at him, his vision settled, and he was finally able to make everything out.

It was the very same creature he’d been hiding and burying within himself all along. He’d been holding back on so much that for so long, he thought this part of himself had long since died or faded out…but no; the figure seated before himself was as real as anything in the flesh was. To deny it and doubt himself would mean immediate death.

As if reading his mind, the figure whispered, “You’ll die if you doubt yourself, Agent Nines.”

But maybe he was going to die either way. There was no way he could win against this monster.

Sitting before him with one leg draped up at his side beneath his arm, the mysterious, darkly clad figure was none other than the deepest, darkest, and most evil side of himself he’d worked so hard at suppressing. It was just like looking into a mirror. The android seated across from him looked identical to him. That’s because he _was_ Agent Nines.

This was the murderous part of himself he’d long since abandoned, only bringing him out whenever he was out killing and slaying someone in cold blood. He hated this part of himself, and he had no use for it. He knew then that ever since he’d met Gavin, he’d had no need for this part of himself.

Using his kneecap as an ‘armrest’ of sorts, the android before him twitched his fingers. In his opposite hand, he held a long, dark katana. It was almost akin to the one Nines always carried, but this…this was much, much older. It was his own, and he recognized it immediately. He thought he’d once lost it…gifted to him by the Agency when he ‘graduated’ and passed all his exams, this was an ancient, rare gift of initiation.

Why was it here?

It was real, however. He didn’t need to double check. It sat with the handle tucked and resting neatly with the android’s fingers wrapped around it. The katana leaned against his chest, and as he hunched himself over, the chains he’d been tightly held and bound by rattled. The chains even wove themselves around the katana and his arms, looping back over his neck and shoulders. He glared at Nines with hatred and anger, but his smile was cool, calm, collected, and poised. His other leg lay flatly and horizontally before the katana, and he didn’t move as Nines studied him intently.

If someone else had seen this figure, they no doubt would’ve assumed the androids were twins or clones. This ‘Agent Nines’ looked identical to Nines as he himself were, but there were tiny, minor differences many would’ve easily missed out on.

‘Agent Nines’ had hair color almost half a shade darker. His eyes held more of a green tinge within their depths, but the blue still overpowered it, and if one didn’t know Nines well enough, the differences would’ve been impossible to spot and detect. Everything else-right down from the skin tone, voice, physical build, height, as well as facial features remained the same.

They _were_ one and the same…

When he leaned in closer to study ‘Agent Nines’, the android huffed.

“Do I surprise you?”

Nines almost leapt back in fright when Agent Nines had spoken, and the other android chuckled maliciously. Nines glared at him, and he moved upright. “What’re you doing here??” he then looked up, but he saw a black mountain of nothingness and darkness. “Where are we???”

Agent Nines stared on down at the katana forcefully tied into his hands and then peered at the heavy, silver chains. Glaring away at them as though they were the bane of his existence, he sneered as he dragged out his response. “We’re in what the humans would call ‘limbo’, if you will…”

“I don’t have time for concepts of life and death,” Nines cried out, “I need to get—”

His horrid double eyed him with a ferocious glance of his own, and it silenced Nines at once. “This is where you sent me, remember?” he spat out angrily, “you condemned me to suffer when I was of no use to you, and yet here we are…”

Placing a hand down to steady his own weight up, Nines hissed out quickly, “It had to be done, you monster. You said so yourself! ‘You and I cannot both survive’,” he mocked the double’s slightly deeper tone of voice, “you were a cancer in my body…I had to excise you, or I had to perish.”

Reminding them both of the ghastly deed that had been carried out almost two years ago the night Nines decided to divide himself in two seemed far less painful, now. In theory, it was nothing but misery and suffering to the extent of an inhuman, impossible nature. In actuality, it was another different story, and he wouldn’t have even wished it on his own worst enemy.

And yet, it had happened….

Agent Nines didn’t even nod, “Every agent has a ‘warrior half’, and a ‘nurturing half’,” he explained with some bite in his tone, “you chose to give in to the ‘nurturing half’, and you threw me out while allowing it to succeed in _my_ role…” he laughed again, though he couldn’t move enough to shake his head dismissively without the chains holding him back from it. “You cast me aside…”

Nines screamed out, “BECAUSE YOU CAN’T STOP!!!”

His loud outburst made Agent Nines even recoil, though his glares remained almost permanently etched and fixed onto his face. It did nothing for Nines, however, and he felt his shoulders sinking and caving inwards. Why was it that anytime he was faced with ‘Agent’ Nines, he was rendered weak and so small???

Perhaps there was a reason for why he cast this beast away after all…

In an almost child-like voice, Nines kept whispering to himself, “You can’t stop…your bloodlust is insatiable…you’ll keep killing mindlessly…”

While he remained sulking, Agent Nines stared intently at his katana. “I can’t remain here much longer,” he randomly announced, and his chains glimmered and began shining brightly as the aura around him glowed powerfully. “You’ve done well to keep me hidden until I recuperated, but now, I have to leave.”

Finally shaken out of his musings, Nines frowned. “What do you mean?” he asked in heavy confusion before uttering, “you can’t leave!”

“We _both_ are,” Agent Nines corrected, and he grinned a most foul grin that only made Nines feel even more disgusted and sick. “You and I _will_ cooperate as one…just like the good old days, huh Nines?”

Shaking his head as he backed away nervously, Nines refused. “No, no,” he argued vehemently, “you can’t get out, now when I—” he then cut himself off. What had he been about to blurt out??? Was he slipping that badly? Was he really losing control over himself to the point where he’d almost blabbed openly to the worst creature existing within the back of his mind?

No…surely not…

Agent Nines looked up directly at him, then, but he only used his eyeballs to do so. It sent chills up Nines’ spine, and it was a sensation he’d heard humans talking about, though he’d often laughed at them for feeling it. He’d always thought of them as beyond weak to feel and experience such things, but now, he felt just as weak. After all, he’d felt the raw fear; he could almost smell it and taste it for himself…

White, sharp teeth flashed a cruel smile, and Agent Nines’ voice ghosted and caressed his ears softly. “Oh, I know about him, you know…” chuckling so cruelly, he almost delighted completely when he saw Nines visibly panicking and shaking. “I know _everything_ you do, remember?”

A finger stuck out crudely, “You stay the hell away from Gavin, you hear me??!?” Nines all but screamed, and his own voice slammed back into his audio receptors, making them buzz and hiss as he shook violently. “YOU LEAVE THAT BOY ALONE!!! DON’T DRAG HIM INTO THIS!!!! HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US!!”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Agent Nines retorted, and he lifted his head and neck up high. It seemed as though he was no longer held down and bound by his chains, anymore. They still were draped over him, but he began moving his wrist in small, circular motions, and the katana danced and circled a spot on the dark floor while he slowly extended his legs and got up. Peering down at Nines, then, the horrifyingly dark part of what he once used to be stood up to his full height. It all happened so slowly, but when he rose, he towered over Nines, who still remained on the floor.

The chains rose up off the floor as well, and they clanked together, making harsh sounds while Agent Nines grinned down at Nines. “I’m growing weary of this place, and it’s about time I put all my old skills to practice…” he licked his lips, moistening them while Nines gaped up at him. His own body wasn’t even in his control, and he could do nothing but gape in terror as Agent Nines pulled his arms up above his head.

As he did so, the chains stretched up high, and in an instant, they broke free out of the darkness holding them down. Released from their ‘hooks’, the chains let out a loud ‘clang!’, and then they almost disappeared into the blackness surrounding them.

Now, Agent Nines stood freely, and he proudly held up the katana. Sighing in awe, he brought it up to his eyes, and he smiled at it as if it were a long-lost friend he’d recently reconnected with. He appeared to be so happy and thrilled, and he only looked at the sharp blade he wielded before he finally let out a joyful laugh. It almost sounded like that of a child, but Nines wasn’t so easily fooled and swayed; this was still a monster, and he’d been in charge of releasing him and giving him the energy he needed…

Damn him…

Finally setting the blade down to rest at his side, Agent Nines beamed excitedly at his twin. Bending down, he used the katana almost like a makeshift cane. Leaning his weight on it, he grinned as he placed the blunt end down on the floor while beckoning Nines with the wave of a hand.

“Let’s go,” he snickered, “I am so very eager to meet this young Gavin Reed, you know…”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Hank and Connor had been running for what felt like an age. The entire time their feet thudded and pounded on the pavement, grass, mud, and dirt, they were able to successfully trail the injured driver by his blood and DNA left behind. Connor sniffed it out almost like a bloodhound, and he ran ahead of Hank while pointing and motioning every twist and turn out ahead of time. Following him as best as he could, Hank soon felt his lungs about to burst. Where were they even going?!? Was Connor sending him on a wild goose chase?!?

Holding up a hand, he coughed out while patting himself on the chest. “C-Connor!!! Wh-where are you taking us?!?” He paused to study their surroundings, and his grey hair fell into his eyes. “Arrgh! Shit!!!” While he brushed his hair back, Connor headed on ahead.

“Over here, Lieutenant!” he cried out, “we’re in Central Park!”

Deadpanning, then, Hank gasped, “Central Par-CONNOR!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU—”

“JUST SHUT UP AND GET OVER HERE! I THINK I FOUND SOMETHING!”

Hank chose to ignore the rudeness. Connor must have indeed been onto something, otherwise, there’d be no way for him to be so bold and crass. Taking a few quick moments to gaze around the park, Hank was grateful that no women and children appeared to be about. Only the occasional jogger accompanied by their dog passed by, and they threw him disgusted sneers when he nodded and waved at them. He hadn’t realized they were this far into the city, and as he stared on ahead where Connor had disappeared, he saw a large bridge meant for decoration than anything else. It covered the distance between the end of one grassy hill to another, and no water was beneath it, thankfully.

Picking up the pace once his lungs no longer felt as though they were going to burst, Hank dashed forward, and he dove into the tall, thick blades of grass beneath the yellow-painted bridge. Connor was already tucked down, and he was staring intently at something…

“What’s goin’ on??”

“Shh!” Connor pointed ahead, and when Hank looked over in the direction Connor was giving attention to, his breath hitched in his throat.

Hidden away in the grass, a middle-aged thin man with a dark mustache, long, greasy, unwashed blonde hair, and a face that had been beaten and bashed in to resemble a bloody, messy pulp gaped at them. He held a hand over his lower abdomen, and he was taking in gulps and mouthfuls of air as his eyes opened up widely.

Once he’d recovered from the initial shock of stumbling upon the man like this in such a horrific state, Hank grabbed him by the coat collar and shook him. “WHO ARE YOU!?!?”

Connor shoved him aside, “Hank!” he cried out angrily, “he’s been stabbed! Can’t you see it?”

Hank’s eyes fell down to the man’s hand, and he saw blood still steadily gushing forth between his clenched fingers. “SHIT!” pressing his own hand down strongly as he could over the man’s, he gasped out, “PRESSURE!! APPLY PRESSURE!!!” turning to Connor, then, he screamed in an order, “DON’T JUST STAND THERE!!! CALL 911!!!”

Before Connor could move, however, the injured man suddenly seized up. In a burst of strength neither Hank nor Connor knew he possessed, he gripped both their shoulders tightly, and he yanked them down over himself. “P-please,” he croaked out, and more blood and saliva rose up from his throat and drenched his chin and lips. Hank felt weak and dizzy from such a sight, but he held onto the man as tightly as he could.

“Let us help you!” Connor cried out, but the man grit his teeth together and shook his head.

“It’s…too l-late for m-me,” he panted out, and his skin really started turning gaunt and soft blue. His lips-though they were covered in blood-took a look of death upon them. They really didn’t have much time on their hands.

“CONNOR! GOD DAMN IT!” Hank tried shoving Connor away from himself, but then the injured man reached into his coat pocket with his free hand. “T-take th-this,” he begged them, eyes turning more lifeless by the second, and he opened his palm and practically shoved whatever was there into Hank’s hand. “Everyth-thing…you’re l-looking…f-f-for…is in…th-there…”

Breaking his gaze away from the man, Hank peered down at the item he now held in his palm, and he saw that it was a tiny microchip. Connor could easily touch it, and then download all the information it held. He’d seen these types of chips before, and he felt grateful that something rather simplistic was now in his grasp. But what of the man??? How did it come to be that he held it in his possession? Who was this man?!?

“I still have some questions!” Hank barked out before the man, but the moment he turned to stare at him, he saw that the man had slumped down into the grass. His limbs went stiff and rigid, and his hands and skin were now as cold as ice. His eyes rolled back up as he stared up at the underside of the bridge they were beneath. Along the way, his hand came away from his injured area, and now, more blood was liberally pouring forth onto Hank’s and Connor’s hands.

Studying the ruby-red liquid, Hank let out a yelp, and then he shoved Connor away from it. “Call 911, I said!!!”

“He’s dead,” Connor announced dryly, but his eyes held a lot of emotions as he no doubt tried concealing how frightened and shaken he was from all this trauma. “He’s dead, Hank, and we have his blood on our hands.”

Yanking out his cellphone, Hank groused at Connor, “Don’t you _dare_ try to pin this fucking shit on me, Connor!” he called for an ambulance, and then disconnected the call quickly. Once he got to his feet, he grabbed Connor, and he almost violently spun the android around to face himself. “You’re just as involved in this as I am, remember???”

He knew he was talking too loudly in a public area where children were soon going to be running around. And they were going to risk seeing this…

“FUCK!” Marching back around towards the bridge, Hank took off his brown jacket, and he reluctantly threw it over the dead man’s corpse. Making sure it was hidden well away, he then stared at the tiny chip he now held. “What do you think is on it?” he’d meant for it to be a rhetorical question, but Connor shrugged.

“Information, obviously.”

“No shit,” Hank spat, “but of what??”

While the loud ambulance sirens rang out, Connor was barely heard as he whispered, “Maybe not of ‘what’, but of ‘who’?”

Nodding at him, Hank quickly pocketed the chip.

“Let’s go,” he growled aggressively, glaring ahead as he saw the bright lights flashing as the vehicles approached the park. “We have a lot of explaining to do.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Gavin groaned as he gave one last mighty heave, and using all the strength he had left in his arms and shoulders, he placed Nines on the twin-sized bed in the bedroom of their cabin. It’d taken almost two whole hours for him to drag Nines through the forest, and he wondered why the android wasn’t moving or coming to. Supposing it was all a part of his ‘recuperating’ process, Gavin was willing to wait it all out. Perhaps, when dawn arrived, Nines would be back to his regular self, and they would be able to get out of here!!!

Hanging onto that hope was all he had, and he went with it as he took a small break. He plopped himself down onto a small rocking chair in the old bedroom by the window. Realizing the blinds weren’t drawn, he hurriedly yanked them down. The room was now completely engulfed in darkness, but Gavin wanted to be alive and safe instead of dead and sorry. Dawn would soon come anyway! What was a few more hours of waiting?

Pulling the rocking chair up close to the bedside, he stared down as best as he could at Nines in the dark. Using his flashlight, he studied the android’s LED light, and he saw it was randomly blinking blue on and off.

Yes!!!!

That was a good sign!! It meant Nines was going to be okay after all!

Rejoicing silently, he sat back comfortably, and he took off his shoes and socks. He feet thanked him for it, and he sighed in relief now that his wet and uncomfortable socks were off. Skin slightly wrinkly, he groaned, and then looked over at the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom.

Perhaps one small shower wouldn’t hurt…and it was so tempting!!! It was practically calling out to him!!!

The youth took a tiny peek at Nines, and when he saw the android still not moving, he decided to head for the shower. While Nines ‘rested’, he would hurriedly clean himself up. He still had his bag with him, and he’d been smart to pick out more fresh clothes before Nines had woken up in Amanda’s home.

Realizing how much he missed the motherly woman, then, Gavin smiled sadly while he grabbed a fresh towel, his clean clothes, and made sure the lights were only at a very low intensity when he entered the small bathroom. It contained one standing shower, and the glass doors gleamed at him. The entire room was so clean, and Gavin found himself practically drooling at the prospect of having warm water and a clean scent attached to himself, now. He’d been in the rain and outdoors for far too long, and now, his only cure was a shower.

Stripping his clothes off quickly, he curled them all up into a small bundle, and he shoved them deeply into his bag. Now, his whole bag was going to reek of mud and sweat, but he had no other choice. Turning to the shower door, he slid it open, and he turned on the warm water. It immediately poured down like a waterfall, almost, and steam soon began rising. Just thinking about standing around while it drenched him made his sore bones and muscles feel better already.

Once he felt the water was ready enough, he’d meant to dive in, when Gavin remembered he still hadn’t locked the door!!!

As he turned on his heels to complete the task, he slammed into a darkly clad, thick chest. He nearly fell to his feet, but as he rubbed his sore chin and jaw, he glanced up and saw Nines standing before him.

Feeling so relieved and happy, Gavin threw his arms around Nines and pulled the android right against himself in a tight embrace. “NIIIIINESSS!!!!” forgetting he was completely nude for the moment, he stuck his body right against the still-wet clothes the android was wearing. Gavin found it slightly uncomfortable, but he didn’t care; he was far too excited and thrilled that Nines was fine!!!

But why wasn’t he saying anything in return???

Gavin broke out of the embrace just enough to lean back so he could study Nines’ face closely. “Nines?”

The android had indeed been staring down at him, but he wasn’t really smiling or eager to talk…he just _stared_.

Now, Gavin really felt uncomfortable, and he shielded himself with his hands as he blushed bright pink. “Umm, Nines,” he began in a gentle tone while casting his eyes down to the floor, “I’m umm…I’m glad you’re fine and everything, but why aren’t you saying anything?”

There was still no response, and as much as Gavin didn’t want to look up at Nines, he found himself doing so out of a necessity. The need to understand and comprehend what was going on outweighed his sense of privacy and nudity, and as he stared into Nines’ eyes, he thought he saw something flashing there eerily for a split second.

“Nines?”

Whatever it was, it now was gone. Nines kept staring down at him to the point where it _really_ was bothering Gavin, now. In fact, he felt angry, now, and he felt offended and mortified enough to give the android a light shove. “You’re a freak, you know that, Nines?” scoffing, then, Gavin turned around, and he slid open the shower stall door wide enough for himself to enter. “And can you get the fuck out of the bathroom so I can shower?”

Only silence met his ears, and then the water pouring out of the shower-head was suddenly far too loud. The water practically beat down like tiny bullets over the shower floor, and Gavin dipped his feet in the water puddles forming down below. It warmed him right up, but just when he’d meant to head in and enjoy it all, he remembered he still had an unwelcome guest present.

“Oh, and by the way,” he spat out angrily, “make sure you _close and lock_ the damn door behind yourself, you—AAAAGHHH!!!”

He’d been cruelly slammed chest-first into a wall and he didn’t even have time to process it all or react to it. Nines had moved way too fast. Almost like the speed of lightning, he quickly shred off all his own clothes, and he kicked and tossed them out onto the floor. Slamming the shower door behind himself, he wrapped a large, thick hand over Gavin’s small neck. Holding the young man in place against the wall, Nines quickly maneuvered him to stand directly beneath the shower spray.

Gasping and sputtering, Gavin nearly choked on the warm water as he was held firmly beneath it. It sprayed down over his eyes, mouth, nose, and lips, and when he tried breathing through his mouth and nose, water seeped in. Coughing wildly and harshly until his throat burned, he tried composing himself, but then a strong hand clamped down over his mouth. Now that he had no choice but to breathe in through his nose, Gavin felt his nostrils flaring. Unhappy about this, he tried kicking and screaming as best as he could, but Nines held him back strongly. He easily overpowered Gavin, and as the young man kicked away senselessly, Nines placed an index finger over his lips.

“Shhh…” though the message had already been conveyed, he kept his finger over his lips, and Gavin glared at him over his shoulder.

Water got in his eyes, and he blinked rapidly to clear his vision. Wishing he could bite the hand over his mouth, he continued to glare at Nines while the taller male peered out of the tiny window right above the edge of the shower wall. Huffing in minor disapproval, he rolled his eyes as he kept his hand over Gavin’s mouth.

“Foolish of you to pull down blinds in the bedroom, yet leave this window completely bare and open huh?”

Unable to take that snobby tone, Gavin roared mightily, and then shoved Nines’ hand off his mouth. Surprisingly, he wasn’t met with resistance, and Nines stood back as he stared at Gavin’s body slowly. Feeling more naked than the day he’d been born into the world, Gavin gasped, and then inched back against one of the shower walls.

Nines quirked a brow, “Don’t look so frightened; I’m a man too, you know.” As soon as he’d stated that, he threw his head back and allowed the water to rain down over his hair. Inching closer to the shower-head, he practically shoved Gavin against a corner closer to the wall, and having no room to breathe, Gavin groaned.

“Why’d you have to come in here and shower with me?!?” he cried out in mortification, but he chanced a small peek up at Nines. The android really seemed to be enjoying himself; his eyes were closed, a small smile played on the corners of his mouth, and he was simply running his hands and fingers through his wet hair.

When he didn’t answer, Gavin sighed out, “Well, it’s not the first time I’ve seen you naked, but whatever.”

Agent Nines immediately froze up.

What had this boy just admitted to??? So Nines-his nurturing half-had apparently revealed himself to this young man?? Now, he truly was intrigued.

Taking a small step back, he saw Gavin eyeing him suspiciously.

Very interesting. So the young man wasn’t as stupid and as careless as Agent Nines originally pegged him to be. Perhaps judging a book by its cover was indeed a logical fallacy, after all. Feeling more drawn to the youth, Agent Nines held a tiny smile over his face. He’d completely misjudged this brat. Upon first glance, he thought that Gavin Reed was merely a simpleton, and a pure imbecile. He had no idea what Nines saw in this brat, and he still didn’t, but now, he felt that he would at least be able to gain some satisfaction in toying and playing with Gavin.

All bets were on.

Not wanting to give himself away, Agent Nines nodded quickly. “Oh yes,” he stated plainly, “I remember that…” Having no clue what on earth the boy had gone on about, Agent Nines supposed that somewhere, Nines had experienced something akin to what the youth was redirecting his attention to currently.

Shame. He found he couldn’t access those memories, even though they were connected, and even though they were one and the same in one body; one system combined and conjoined.

It all seemed rather interesting, too…

Sharp, bony elbows suddenly slammed into his chest, and he looked down to see Gavin before himself while he slowly washed his hair.

Squeezing shampoo onto the palm of his hand, Gavin snorted loudly, “You’re actin’ kinda weird, Nines,” lathering up his dark brown hair, next, he asked, “are you sure that the weird, sharp pen-thingy I yanked outta you didn’t cause like, amnesia or something?”

Agent Nines was momentarily stunned. Prior to the ‘Advanced Stasis Stagnation’ device being used, he’d been ‘asleep’. Everything was hazy and foggy for him, but he knew someone had obviously used the device on Nines. That’s how he was able to wake up, after all…

He turned his sights to Gavin, then.

But had it really been this tiny, pathetic, measly brat who’d used the device?!?! It couldn’t have been…this was a simple child, and he likely didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground, Agent Nines supposed. But then again, he’d already misjudged and underestimated this young thing before, and it was highly likely Nines had talked him through the removal process…albeit the kid had still fucked up and brought him out of his deep slumber.

Not that he was entirely ungrateful…if anything, he was just a little ‘angry’ and peeved at being awakened a little ahead of schedule, but he was slowly getting used to the sights, sounds, colors, touches, surroundings…

There was still a hint of curiosity burning within himself, and he glared at Gavin’s back as he leaned over his shoulder and hissed in his ear, “What have you done with the Advanced Stasis Stagnation device, hmm???” not waiting for a foolish response, he stuck his hand forth beneath Gavin’s chin, “hand it over.”

Spinning around quickly, Gavin gaped at him, “Waaah?? What the fuck is it called?”

Upper lip curling back in a silent snarl, Agent Nines spat, “Are you deaf? HAND IT OVER!!!”

Perhaps he’d been a tad too harsh, but that’s how he’d always been designed and created. He was mean to instill fear in people’s minds and hearts, and right now, he wanted to leave this boy with that as a burning impression in his tiny brain. That’s what he vowed to do, and as Gavin cowered beneath the shower spray, Agent Nines wagged a finger at him. “Don’t test me, you fuck,” he growled out, “you’re meaning to tell me that you abandoned and tossed out a highly important piece of property you don’t own, have the rights to, and don’t even understand half the delicate, complicated intricacies of???”

Foolish, indeed.

Still gaping widely at him, Gavin trembled quite violently. In comparison to the rest of his heated body and skin that had taken on a pink tinge due to the warmth of the water beating down over him, his face was rather pale. Scanning the youth quickly, Agent Nines was able to determine that the human wasn’t suffering from an illness, thankfully.

Watching as he brushed some of his wet bangs out of his face, Agent Nines grinned when heard the boy whisper, “Something’s wrong with you…”

Laughing even though it wasn’t funny or amusing, Agent Nines responded with, “Yes, that’s what _most_ would say about me.”

Suddenly realizing what a horrible mistake he’d made not to lock the door before making sure ‘Nines’ had a chance to sneak in, Gavin felt the gravity of the situation, now. This humiliation was difficult to bear, and it was only the beginning.

Smiling coldly and not saying a single word, Agent Nines took his sweet time studying Gavin’s naked body. But then, without much of a warning, he turned Gavin around swiftly and rammed him up against the shower wall face-first.

Breathing down the boy’s neck, he whispered, “Now, I’m not a fucking rapist, so you need to tell me you want this.”

But Gavin didn’t…yet he did…this was still Nines, wasn’t it??? Gazing back around over his shoulder, he saw that same android he’d befriended; the same android who’d been there for him during his worst moments and who’d stayed at his side loyally during a horrifying panic attack. This was _still_ Nines, even though he perhaps was suffering some kind of crazy change because of the weird device!!!

Deciding to talk his way out of it, first, Gavin sputtered as he fumbled for an answer. He couldn’t get the right words out of his mouth, however. It also didn’t help matters at all when Nines shoved his hips against his lower body. Soon, in painfully delightful slow and deliberate circles, those hips ground into his, and Gavin felt something warm and incredible throbbing over his ass.

Yesssss…this had been what he wanted all along!

Nodding quickly, he threw caution into the wind and cried out, “I w-want it!”

“You do?” came the quick reply, and for a moment, those hips stilled, and then pulled away from his body. Agent Nines chuckled deeply, “I don’t think you mean it…”

Before he could go completely, Gavin screamed out without thinking, “I WANT YOU!!”

It was a done deal.

Agent Nines rounded on him once again, and Gavin ended up with his hands splayed beseechingly against the cold tiles. He sensed Nines’ hips grinding and circling into his own, and he felt Nines’ breath by his ear. Something seemed to then writhe in the pit of his belly, and as he attempted to turn around, Nines ground his head back into the wall. Groaning softly more from the mix of pleasure and pain, Gavin suddenly felt Nines separate his buttocks. He assuredly felt something pressing into him.

That same deep, dark chuckle rang into his ears. “I take it you’ve never done this before,” Nines growled, and Gavin didn’t move. He knew exactly what was about to happen to him, and while he wanted it, he couldn’t help but feel his throat quivering, and then convulsing.

“It’s not too late to back out of this, you know,” Agent Nines whispered.

Roaring, Gavin cried out, “Just d-don’t fuckin’ be a tease!!!” he palmed the shower wall desperately, “if you’re not ‘man’ enough to get me off, then why don’t you fuckin’ say so instead of aaahhh!!!”

Nines retained a firm grip on his hips, pushing him closer into the wall. The ceaseless sound of streaming water filled his ears…his very sight, even.

Nines began purring delightfully in his ears, “I’ll show you just how much of a man I am, Gavin…” pausing, he licked a deliciously hot, wet stripe from one side of the back of Gavin’s neck to the other. “Knowing you want me thrills me to no end…”

He took his time, preparing Gavin as ‘tenderly’ as he could. It was a real chore; he wasn’t one to be tender. He’d always taken lives brutally and cruelly, but this wasn’t a similar case. He wasn’t out to murder Gavin, and he knew that this wasn’t an experienced, older man. Not in the mood for crying, whining, screaming, and a messy ordeal, Agent Nines bit back on the burning desire to just shove Gavin up against the wall and take him forcefully without preparation. But that would be against everything Nines vowed for.

God damn his ‘nurturing’ half. God damn Amanda for even allowing that side of him to dominate and overpower the ‘warrior’ half.

Apparently, the mix between his two selves was what enabled him to be gentler with Gavin. Agent Nines took some time working the young man’s body slightly open and looser, and he used a bit of the warm water and unscented body gel in the shower stall to make the younger male slick. Pumping him gently and carefully, he adjusted his body to two fingers, and then eventually three, which was wide and thick enough for his size…slightly.

Grinning, he knew there would be some pain, but he wasn’t going to wait any longer, now.

As Gavin stood, he was completely reduced to a hot, wet, sopping mess of need and want. He had almost gotten off on being fingered alone, and he was a tad ashamed of himself for it. Before long, a scorching hardness began to slowly force itself inside his body.

Gasping, Gavin knew what it was, and he threw Nines a frightened look over his shoulder.

“Don’t tense up,” the android warned in a soft growl.

It was impossible not to. The pain and the unfathomable strangeness of it wrung a scream from Gavin’s throat. He clutched at the wall as Nines penetrated him further, and his fingers and nails slipped along the wet tiles.

“You’re tight,” Agent Nines hissed, but then chuckled huskily and began thrusting rather hard, and definitely without mercy. Although he’d felt he’d prepared Gavin enough, it was impossible for him to control himself as soon as he’d sunk into that deliciously tight, warm depth. Gavin’s body pulled and sucked his cock deeper and deeper, and Agent Nines suddenly began to realize why some people found murder, violence, and sex all one and the same. Now, he wasn’t going to be able to stop lusting after and desiring for Gavin, same way he always desired for and lusted after spilling warm blood.

“P-please!” Gavin screamed, “i-it feels like I’m b-being split open!!”

“The first time’s always like that, so I hear…”

Gavin whimpered, but moved back, as though trying to draw some pleasure out of the pain in whatever way he could.

Agent Nines snickered cruelly, “I’ll flay you bare to your core.” Slightly heated, but sharp as ever, Agent Nines’ voice invaded Gavin’s eardrums.

Peering down between where they were connected, he saw that Gavin’s entrance was stretched to the breaking point so he could allow for deeper entry, and Agent Nines began pumping almost savagely up and into the pliant body beneath himself.

There was undeniable pain in how deeply Nines had ripped into him, but for some reason, the knowledge that he was having wild sex covered all areas of Gavin’s skin in tiny goosebumps. Cursing himself, he knew that he was enjoying it, but he wasn’t going to vocalize that. If he did, perhaps Nines would stop and think he was a pervert!!

Whatever was going on was far too intense for even Gavin himself to handle, but one thought repeatedly slammed into him almost at the same pace the android’s cock rammed into him. A man was fucking him…a _man_ was having rough, wild sex with him, and this fucking aroused Gavin beyond his wildest dreams and filthiest thoughts. His whole body soon shook with the force of Nines’ movements, interrupting his thoughts.

“F-fuuuuck!! Uuuh!!” he was aware of his wanton, high-pitched sexual moans, but for some reason, it spurred Nines on even more.

As he kept thrusting, Agent Nines grasped at Gavin’s deep pink, erect cock. The tip was about to explode from pleasure, and he rejoiced when he saw the little veins standing and jutting out from the sides of the length. Agent Nines toyed with Gavin’s cock a bit firmly, squeezing and massaging the head. As he did so, a startling flash of sensation ran through Gavin’s hips. It was so different from the pain after being entered so deeply so suddenly; he couldn’t handle how these dual feelings overlapped.

Peeking over at the side of Gavin’s face, Agent Nines huffed, “I’m sure you have no idea what kind of a slutty face you’re making right now.”

Upon hearing such filthy, lewd words, an electric shock shot down Gavin’s spine.

“Oooh god…” the rest of his words emerged in the form of a sigh that vanished away in the stream of the warm water. Embarrassed by how much he was enjoying this, all he could do was lower his head to hide his facial expressions. It must’ve all been because of how Nines was messing around between his legs with his cock…a peculiar sensation began to mingle with the mild, dull throb of his hole being pounded into, and it all made Gavin gnaw at his lower lip. The more Nines kept doing that, the more he wanted. The more that feeling spread through him, the greater his cries and moans grew.

Now, he was dripping with precum. Nines pressed his hand to the tip of Gavin’s cock, lightly pulling at him, and he then ferociously thrust in the moment Gavin reacted by shivering.

“Aaahh!! Niines!!!” Gavin moaned and panted, completely caught up in Nines’ rhythm; hands pressed to the wall, hot water raining down on him, his ass sticking and arching out behind himself while he was getting fucked in all the ways he found he’d wanted all along. There were all sorts of horrendous, deafening, and purely carnal noises and sounds as they connected and separated. Intense pleasure, a vivid mix of rapture and pain; all of it raged inside Gavin.

He knew that sound.

Squelching, wet noises. The sound of skin slapping skin, and he was fucking getting off on it more than his favorite porno.

He was on the verge of coming, when Nines abruptly clamped his hand around the base of his turgid cock. It made him ache; it made him itch as if his breath itself had been stopped at the root.

“Nuuuhh!!! D-don’t!!”

“If you want release, you have to beg me for it, Gavin…”

The young adult trembled, both in humiliation and in hunger. Not wanting to be denied this, Gavin’s last remaining scrap of reason was abandoned and thrown into the wind. He turned his head, and he nodded a few times weakly at Nines.

The android grinned at him, and slowly pulled away from him. “That’s not a good enough answer.”

Groaning, Gavin felt his cock twitching. “PLEASE!”

“Then shall I leave you?” To prove his threat, Agent Nines began slowly pulling out of Gavin’s body, and the younger male screamed out in protest.

Growling wildly, Gavin screamed out, “You’re driving me c-crazy!!”

Agent Nines’ LED light flashed yellow. “That _is_ the general idea.”

Unable to take it any longer, Gavin swallowed down saliva, and when he opened his mouth again, all that came out were quivering breaths that struggled to reach the level of actual speech. It wasn’t going to be good enough…

Agent Nines sneered, “Well?”

Gavin groaned when Nines’ hand even moved away from his cock, “Just…please…” Something crumbled to dust deep inside him. He tasted the despair of one shoved down to the bottom of the abyss. He flung away the dregs of his rationality.

“Yes…”

Agent Nines shook his head, “I can’t hear you.”

Gazing at him with lust-filled eyes, Gavin saw nothing but raw power, dominance, control, and strength. Not only was Nines well-built and strong, but he was absolutely pure sex on the eyes.

“I want…” the sound of the shower drowned out his heated frenzy and sex-soaked voice.

Leaning against him once more, Agent Nines hissed, “Good.” He then began moving once again.

“Haa!!!” Because Gavin had been trying so hard to endure it, deep waves of pleasure suddenly rushed up all around him the moment Nines picked up the pace. His knees shook; he could scarcely stand. He almost came right there when he heard Nines’ faintly ragged breathing coming from behind him. That alone filled Gavin with a vertigo that made it seem as if he were about to come immediately.

Nines was thrusting into him faster, harder, and rougher.

He jolted forward, screaming out garbled nonsense. “Uuuh!!! Grrraahhuuh!”

Nines didn’t stop; he was pressuring Gavin, chasing him to the point of no return. He closed his fist around the end of Gavin’s cock, and he brutally began stroking it as he urged him to the brink.

That was it.

Gavin’s sight, his mind…everything erupted in whiteness as his body went stiff. A shudder bolted through him, starting deep in his cock at first.

“NIIIINES!!!” He arched his back, pressing his chest tightly to the wall, and burning white seminal fluid shot right out of him then. His convulsing muscles clenched as he climaxed, and in the same moment, Nines came even harder deeply inside him.

Agent Nines clenched his hips as if seeking to violate the very deepest part of Gavin. The younger male sensed traces of Nines’ liquid warmth within his body, and it pooled there in the most private part of himself.

“Niiiineesss…” Lingering echoes of ecstasy left both his flesh and spirit dazed. His hands slid limply down to the wall, too weak to hold himself up longer. Nines caught him easily as he collapsed. Gavin’s mind swam while a masculine smell hung heavy among the soap and gel in the heated air within the shower stall.

The water soon shut off, and Nines carried him back towards the bedroom. Not even bothering to dry off the youth, he gently tossed him over the sheets. Gavin slumped down into the mattress and pillows. His thoughts lay in pieces, and he lacked the energy to gather any of them up.

All he knew was that he’d lost his virginity, and it wasn’t to Heather or any other girl he’d sometimes held fantasies over. Hell, it wasn’t even with the few football and basketball players he’d seen and masturbated to after university classes.

He’d divested himself of his innocence and the last, remaining part of his childhood to a murderous android he perhaps shouldn’t have jumped in head long and had sex with.

The last thing Gavin remembered thinking about was that perhaps he was starting to really fall in love with Nines after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Gavin, Gavin , Gav. The shit you get yourself into.


	18. Asura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amanda's 'perspective and take' on what's going on with Nines. Take it with a grain of salt!

Nines screamed in raw agony as he felt a heavy presence suddenly sinking deeply into his conscience. Throwing his head back, he swallowed up the darkness of the abyss he was in, and he cried out in a long wail, “I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!!!!!!!!”

“Hmm,” came the deep hum, always deeper and in a richer tone than his own, “so you saw everything, I take it?”

Not only had he seen everything; he’d felt it as if he’d been the one doing it. His blasted twin had taken advantage of Gavin, and he hadn’t been able to stop it and protect the younger boy. What good was he??? Of what use was he to the younger male if he couldn’t even fully protect him from himself?!

Flying upwards with all the anger and hatred guiding him forth, his hands wrapped around Agent Nines’ shoulders, and he screamed vehemently in his face, “WHY DID YOU DO IT?!!? FOR GOD’S SAKE!!! WHY??!”

His miserable half gave him a mighty shove, but he recovered instantly from it. Swinging a fist wildly, he saw that it was of no use; Agent Nines ducked from it, and he then took a few steps back as he pointed an accusatory finger at him. “I did it because you wouldn’t do it!” his response slammed into Nines horribly. It was as though someone had accused him of burning down an orphanage, and then killing old, defenseless ladies. He hated it, and he tried lashing out physically one more time at his twin, but the android was a lot faster. Ducking out of the way a few times, he created a good amount of distance between their bodies while he leered and jeered at Nines.

“Don’t tell me that it’s not what you yourself have desired to do since the moment you saw him, Nines!”

Nearly bursting at the seams, Nines bellowed out at the top of his lungs, “DON’T YOU _DARE_ COMPARE ME TO YOURSELF!!! YOU’RE A SICK, TWISTED RAPIST!!!” Hearing himself saying that word out loud nearly made him crumble and break apart. Pressing a hand over his mouth, he wheezed, “You raped him…oh god…”

Shaking his head, Agent Nines hissed, “I assure you, everything was completely consensual,” pushing back his stray bang, his words practically crawled along Nines’ skin like a creepy spider. He wanted to shake that spider off and squash it beneath his boot.

Rounding on his twin, he madly threw back, “You did things to him that—”

“I didn’t do anything to him he didn’t want!” Agent Nines retorted, and he then huffed coldly at the turmoil and anguish Nines was in. “I simply was able to do what you couldn’t, and in doing such, I brought you closer to Gavin!!! Why are you angry with me?”

Was it _really_ that simple for this monster?!? Nines didn’t want to think about it. Yes, he knew he’d kissed and touched Gavin in the cabin earlier, but did he _really_ want to take things as far as Agent Nines had??? How could he even think of that???

Unable to come up with the words, Nines remained silent.

Pointing at himself, then, the beast cried out, “Am I really to be blamed for your inadequacy?!? HUH!?” his voice volume increased, but he didn’t care; they weren’t bound by any rules and laws of physics, time, and anything in the waking world, anyway. “Is it really _that_ difficult for a man to simply ask for the one thing in his life he wants more than anything else??”

Dashing forward, Nines gripped the identical twin by the shirt collar. He fisted blackness, but he still leaned into him as they were eye-to-eye, now. “Do you remember what Mother told us?” he whispered maliciously, “one of us would _always_ end up killing the other!”

Shoving his hands off his black dress shirt, Agent Nines screamed out powerfully, “YOU FORGET THAT YOU CREATED ME!!! I _AM_ YOU! YOU _ARE_ ME!!!”

No…no…he wanted to deny it and forget it.

His head suddenly ached terribly, and he cradled it as the memories slowly threatened to awaken and stir. “No, this is impossible,” he spat out softly, and he trembled at how weak it sounded. “It’s…no…no!!!”

“It _is_ ,” Agent Nines corrected, and he gripped Nines’ hands in his own stronger ones. Prying them away from his temples, he gently tapped the other android’s LED light. “I know it’s painful for you, but you _must_ remember.”

Swaying and rocking as if he were drunk, Nines cried pathetically, “NO! I can’t!! I won’t!!! I don’t want to!!!”

“Shh,” his twin advanced on him, wrapping him in a sheen of darkness and heat he wasn’t familiar with. “Just close your eyes, and open your mind to me.”

He’d fallen again, but this time, Agent Nines was there to catch him.

“No…”

“Hush…”

He was remembering, and he knew it was going to be painful, but perhaps this was the only way that he could still save Gavin. Hanging onto that hope, Nines allowed his mind and system to grow numb, dizzy, and heavy. It was as if someone else had taken control over his functions, and he crashed down to the darkness as his eyes closed on their own accord.

_Gavin…_

@@~~@@xx~~@@

**_At least six androids were in the large gymnasium of the house the Agency had provided. They were all taking up rigorous, intense physical training, and they were all battling one another. Engaging in martial arts, they fought alongside one another while Nines sat on his knees, staring straight ahead of himself. He’d been sitting beside a few other androids, and directly across from their row was another row of androids._ **

**_Thadius sat directly before Nines, and the moment they’d sat down, their eyes met, and the two androids never broke eye contact. It was a silent and menacing game they were playing, and not needing to blink, they kept glaring away at one another while their comrades fought._ **

**_Through all the noise and screaming, Nines managed a tiny scowl, and Thadius met it equally. The android was still peeved at Nines for the physical violence he’d shown him a few months ago during ‘room checks’._ **

**_Old grudges never seemed to go away, did they?_ **

**_Suddenly, a few more androids went down. The exercise was timed, of course, and as Nines looked up at the black clock resting high above on the wall, he knew exactly who the ‘losers’ were, and who the ‘winners’ were._ **

**_“TIME’S UP!” he barked out suddenly, and the three androids who’d overpowered the remaining three finally broke apart and joined the others on their vacant seats. Only when everyone had been accounted for and beyond silent did Nines stand up and move to be in the center._ **

**_Spinning around slowly, he glared at the first row, and then turned his back to the second row. “If you think for one second that I’m impressed, you’re wrong,” he snapped out at them all in a haughty tone. He saw a few of the androids visibly deflate and cower, no doubt from him lashing out at them. Sneering at them derisively, he continued. “Fighting isn’t always about beating your opponent; sometimes, it’s all about distracting them with your mind and thoughts.”_ **

**_While he himself wasn’t certain of that being a ‘fact’, it’d been what Amanda taught him, and he chose to repeat it while giving his ‘speech’._ **

**_Making sure he held their attention, he droned on, “All of you are set to fail this exercise, because you’re heading into this with the wrong frame of mind; you want to just win with your pure strength.” Clicking his tongue against his teeth, he then sighed, “that’s not always the case, no matter how confident in your abilities you may be.”_ **

**_“I’m afraid I have to disagree with you, Nines…”_ **

**_All eyes were on Thadius, and the android who’d dared to disagree with Nines simply held his neck up with his sharp chin jutting out rudely. It was the raw look of sheer pride, hatred, and rebellion, and Nines wasn’t going to leave it unanswered. A challenge was a challenge, after all, and it appeared as though the rest of the androids had sensed this. If they were waiting for a show, Nines didn’t want to disappoint them._ **

**_With mild humor glinting in his eyes, he held a hand before Thadius. “You said you disagree with me,” he recalled with faux politeness in his voice, “why is that so?”_ **

**_Not even hesitating for a moment, the raven-haired android spat out, “Because you’re an arrogant fool, Nines.”_ **

**_A few gasps echoed around the large, bright gymnasium then, and Nines beamed excitedly. “I think you mean well, Thadius,” he began sarcastically, and the other android read directly through it and glared at him for it. “Shall we put your version of the truth to the test, then?”_ **

**_Only a nod came from Thadius, and he stood to his feet, brushing his white uniform off._ **

**_Nines did the same, and he made enough room for himself as he stood equally on firm grounds before his opponent. They tossed each other long looks of hatred, and for the longest time, they just stood before one another. The air around them had grown stale, uncomfortable, awkward, and everyone else sat still in anticipation. Nines wondered if anyone even dared to move an inch…_ **

**_Choosing to take the lead, he bowed his head, but kept his eyes focused on Thadius. The android loved fighting dirty, it seemed, and he was already prepared for an unsuspecting and untimely attack. However, Thadius merely bowed as well, and when they both rose up once more, they really felt the heat and pressure._ **

**_It was dead silent._ **

**_And suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Thadius rushed at Nines. A bad, bad move. In one swift motion, Nines stepped aside, and he kicked Thadius in the back of his shins. The android tripped, and went sailing for a moment, but he dug his feet firmly onto the floors and stopped himself._ **

**_Clever._ **

**_Like a whirlwind, he came at Nines again, lashing out with his fists and feet kicking and punching quickly. He didn’t land a single blow, but he kept trying. His will to overpower and beat Nines was astounding to the more experienced android. Up until this point, he’d always considered himself far more ‘superior’ and greater, and everyone else had respected and revered him as such…except Thadius. The dark-haired android never seemed to bow down to his will and might, and it was enough to send Nines over the edge. Now, he really was watching his moves._ **

**_As they fought and struggled, they appeared to almost be dancing and floating off the ground. The other androids surrounding them had backed away to create more room for their fight, and their jaws were hung wide open in awe._ **

**_When Thadius leapt up into the air and pivoted off his right foot, he twirled and gained momentum up in the air high above Nines’ head. It was one of his ‘signature’ moves, and one he performed quite well. It’d always caught a lot of unsuspecting and inexperienced of the androids off-guard, but Nines wasn’t in the same league as them. He was ready to knock Thadius down right before he could extend his left leg and aim a brutally nasty kick for his sternum. Only, in his haste and over-confidence, he hadn’t realized he’d backed up a lot to be angled up with where Thadius was going to land. The back of his heels knocked into the feet of the android closely behind himself, and it was the perfect distraction._ **

**_He’d only looked down for half a second. That was all it took, however. In that half a second that he’d permitted his eyes to fall down, everything had been lost and come apart. Thadius aimed his kick high, and with accuracy and definitive precision, he was able to knock Nines hard in the chest. The android gave out a surprised grunt, and he went sailing backwards. Only when his back met the rough, hard, cold floor of the gymnasium did Nines understand and fully grasp what’d happened._ **

**_He’d been beaten…he’d lost…_ **

**_Once he’d landed back down on both feet firmly planted on the floor, Thadius gave out a sarcastic, confident bow, and he raised his hands as he faced the rest of the androids observing. “So it seems you were wrong all this time, Nines!!!” chuckling while he spun around, he spat, “I’m very pleased to be the one who was there for your downfall…literally…”_ **

**_A lot of mixed reactions came from the other androids around them. A few of them applauded Thadius, while others glared resolutely at him in silence. Either way, Nines didn’t care about them; none of that mattered. His pride had been shattered, and his ego had been wounded greatly. For once, he’d made an error…this wouldn’t do…_ **

**_Thadius would have to die. That was the only way this mistake could be rectified, now._ **

**_Peering up at the other android for a moment while he lay on his back, Nines felt the choice surging through his system. Yeessss…it was an apropos decision, indeed. Just thinking about it alone made him feel dizzy with satisfaction, and he wanted nothing more than to make his fantasy into a reality. Only then would he be able to extinguish the fires of his hatred and malice for the other android._ **

**_Suddenly, a few hands tried helping him up. As they did, however, Nines felt something surging forth in his belly. It began as a knot curling and coiling about, but then, it rose up along his chest and into his throat. It was almost like bile, yet he knew it wasn’t. Whatever it was, it possessed him to leap ahead directly at Thadius. Arms outstretched violently, he soon wrapped his fingers around Thadius’ neck, and he began twisting and squeezing cruelly._ **

**_Yesssss!!!! To see Thadius surprised and frightened lit Nines on fire. He was truly delighted, and he began squeezing more and applying more pressure. He wanted to wring Thadius’ neck and pull his head off!! He would!!!!_ **

**_Ignoring screams around him, Nines pulled and twisted, and he went crashing down to the floor on top of Thadius. This was raw domination; this was his power and true strength!!! He wanted to show off more of it, and he would!!!_ **

**_Suddenly, as he’d been smiling and grinning down into the shocked and pained eyes of the android beneath his body, Nines felt a warm hand upon his shoulder. This was a familiar touch…this wasn’t the same pulling sensations the other androids bestowed upon him to get him to stop…no, this was…_ **

**_“Mother…”_ **

**_Peering over his shoulder, he confirmed for himself it was indeed Amanda while she wore a pink Vintage Vestido with a bow. The Japanese-styled elegant floral dress swished about on the ground as she’d bent over behind him in an attempt to stop him before he ended Thadius’ life, Nines gasped as if he’d been the one choking. Leaping back far from Thadius, he crumpled into a fetal position as he curled beneath Amanda’s feet. Trembling, he hissed and whispered sorrowful rounds of apologies. Thadius glared at him as he rolled over and stood up, and he backed away along with the rest of the androids while they all scowled, glared, and gaped at Nines._ **

**_Staring at everyone angrily, Amanda cried out, “OUT! NOW!!! ALL OF YOU!!!!!”_ **

**_It wasn’t long before they all picked up their feet and marched out of the gymnasium. When Nines was completely alone with Amanda, she pressed a hand down in a gentle manner over his shoulder. “Shh,” she tried comforting him, “please get up, Nines; we have to discuss this, now.”_ **

**_He didn’t know how he managed to even stand up, but he did. The floor was down beneath him regularly, now, but he avoided staring at Amanda. He was far too ashamed and mortified. He allowed her to lead him to her private room, and he truly felt how serious this all was, now. None of them had ever been allowed into Mother’s room. This was definitely troublesome for her to step outside her comfort zone and allow him entry._ **

**_Ushering him inside hurriedly, she closed and locked the door behind them both, and she sat down on an old chair by her windowsill, and he stood closer to the wall across from her directly. He didn’t even want to be near anyone for the time being, and she seemed to respect that, thankfully._ **

**_When it’d been silent for far too long, she grabbed a thin, shiny needle, thread, and a dark uniform shirt no doubt belonging to one of the androids. Placing it upon her lap, she began slowly knitting and altering it, but the wrinkles and lines on her forehead betrayed her. Nines knew what was going on with her. She was working on burying and hiding how disastrous and worried she truly was, but Nines read through it. He was honestly offended by how hard she was struggling to conceal that from him. Did she not trust him anymore???_ **

**_While she kept sewing and altering the outfit, Nines hissed, “Are you going to speak to me, or can I leave, now?”_ **

**_Finally, she glanced up, and her eyes were misty and dark. “What happened, Nines?”_ **

**_He shrugged apathetically, “I was fighting with Thadius; you saw it, no?”_ **

**_Slamming her hand down on her kneecap, she cried out, “Don’t give me that attitude, Nines!! I know the truth of the matter, and you wanted to kill Thadius!!!”_ **

**_He had to deny it. It was for Mother’s own good. Shaking his head, he grumbled, “I was merely putting him in his right place; I never wanted to do long-lasting harm!!” How could she even accuse him of such a horrid deed?_ **

**_As her hand trembled while she held the needle, she shook her head at him in disappointment once again. “I need to hear you coming to terms with what you’re becoming, Nines,” her eyes met his, though briefly, “if you doubt yourself, you’ll be lost to me.”_ **

**_“What’re you expecting from me, Amanda?” he ground out her first name angrily, “would it all be better if I just lie to you and tell you that I’ve turned on my own kind?? What, then?!?!”_ **

**_Her jaw dropped, and she croaked out, “Then you’ve truly no idea?”_ **

**_Feeling stunned and offended by the mystery surrounding this issue, Nines spat out derisively, “No, I do not, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would drop the game, Amanda!”_ **

**_Setting her needle and thread down at once, she placed her hands on her lap as she closed her eyes and almost whispered, “I’ll just explain it the best way I can to you then, Nines, but I need you to believe me and hang onto every word, no matter how doubtful of it you may be.”_ **

**_Nodding, he silently promised her in whatever way he could._ **

**_Looking disgruntled, she continued to whisper to him, “In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated “titan”, “demigod”, or “antigod”…others would call it some kind of curse or blessing, depending on how they view it, but it is a ‘god’, nonetheless…”_ **

**_Before he could interrupt her, she held up a hand and continued, “It’s known as ‘asura’. While all the gods of the Kāmadhātu are subject to passions to some degree, the asuras above all are addicted to them, especially wrath, pride, envy, insincerity, falseness, boasting, and bellicosity.”_ **

**_Nines scoffed at her, then, “I know you’re fond of ancient Asian history and mythology, Amanda, but what exactly does this have to do with me??”_ **

**_She rolled her eyes, “If you’ll allow me to continue, Nines, I wanted to say that I believe you’re conflicted with an ‘asura’.”_ **

**_“What?”_ **

**_She motioned at the door, “In the gymnasium, during your exercise!!! Didn’t you feel it? Didn’t you feel how it pushed and pulled at your true nature?”_ **

**_He shook his head slowly, “I—”_ **

**_“It’s not always easy to sense, as an asura can be a tricky oni…a demon, as the Japanese believe it to be so._** **_Because of their passions, rebirth as an asura is considered to be one of the four unhappy births together with rebirth as an animal, a preta, or a being in Naraka. The state of an asura reflects the mental state of a human being obsessed with ego, force and violence, always looking for an excuse to get into a fight, angry with everyone and unable to maintain calm or solve problems peacefully.”_**

**_What did this all mean in regards to his experience??_ **

**_“Am I some kind of monster then?” he asked as he frowned at her deeply, “am I now a demon or some kind of a beast to you??”_ **

**_Tapping and drumming her fingers in a nervous fit on her lap, she sighed, “No, my child! You’re still yourself, of course, but an asura is a rather bloodthirsty presence that I’ve seen possess and take over someone’s spirit once before in my lifetime.”_ **

**_Placing a hand on his forehead, he then rubbed the skin there, and let his hand drop to massage and pinch the bridge of his nose. He was truly running out of patience._ **

**_“Nines, listen…beings may go to the asura realm because though in human form they have good intentions, they commit bad actions such as harming others. They’re unable to stop, you see,” Amanda explained, and her voice turned slightly deep and gravelly. “Concerning asuras, the Great Calm-Observation by Zhiyi says: “Always desiring to be superior to others, having no patience for inferiors and belittling strangers; like a hawk, flying high above and looking down on others, and yet outwardly displaying justice, worship, wisdom, and faith — this is raising up the lowest order of good and walking the way of the Asuras.”_ **

**_Knowing she’d stood up, he still refused to drop his hand down away from his eyes._ **

**_“Nines,” she pressed on, though her tone now had taken a softer edge to it, “when you were struggling within yourself, something changed. It had to, for it is the only way you can continue in the work you do for the Agency.”_ **

**_“I don’t understand, mother,” he whined, still pressing his hand over his nose, “I don’t understand…”_ **

**_Amanda was approaching steadily, but she was doing so slowly, as if fearful of him snapping at her and turning on her violently. Finally, she placed a hand on his own, and he nearly leapt back in fright. “Shh,” she hissed, “Nines, you were always one of my best, and in spite of all your training, you have always shown compassion, empathy, sympathy, and remorse. Your spirit is pure and good.”_ **

**_Now, he truly was confused. “Are you saying I’m possessed by a demon, or I’m not??? Which is it, Amanda?” He hadn’t meant to raise his voice and yell at her, but he was unable to hold back any longer. The constant shift and change in her words and the paradoxical nature of it all was weary on him. Why couldn’t she just flat out say it?_ **

**_Holding an infinite amount of patience, Amanda smiled, though it seemed a little weak and not nearly as bright and enthusiastic as it had been whenever she’d looked upon him in pride. “Nines,” she began urgently while stroking his hands in her own, “whether you choose to believe it or not, you’ve split yourself in two. Your essence-as I call it, the ‘soul’-is now existing and continuing in two separate ways. These ways can often conflict with one another, unless you learn how to control them both.”_ **

**_Remembering when she’d told him to control his ‘killer instinct’, he asked, “Is that what you meant when you advised me to control my ‘killer instinct’?” Had she really been warning him of it since then???_ **

**_She appeared conflicted, but then she nodded slowly, “That’s only one half of it, my son; you need to ensure that you don’t feed asura. It won’t ever stop once you allow it to consume you.”_ **

**_Although he never admitted it to her, he truly didn’t believe a word she said. He was an android. He had no damn soul, and he didn’t feel ‘divided in two’. Knowing he was still the same thing in essence, the most logical explanation he had for it was that his conscience had simply chosen to break off in two separate directions. His ‘warrior’ half was able to kill and ruthlessly slaughter hundreds upon hundreds of people. However, what he deemed as his ‘nurturing’ half-his truest and most visited and displayed form and essence…that was the one he wanted to live as. He wanted to be himself, more importantly; not anything else driven by bloodlust or madness._ **

**_While he stood there pondering everything Amanda had said and everything else he was thinking and feeling currently, Amanda held him close to her chest in an embrace. As her hands and fingers wove themselves around in his dark brown hair, she whispered-perhaps more to herself than to him. “I’ve seen asura before; it was present in the spirit of my one and only true friend, and it was his downfall because he couldn’t hold asura back…” moving away from their locked closeness, she cupped his face in her hands, and she stared deeply into his eyes. Gasping softly, she nodded, “Aaah…and the very same thing stirs inside you, my child. You must always remind yourself of who you are, and never let it devour you whole.”_ **

**_Still unable to agree with her due to his lack of belief and understanding in it, he felt it was a lot better to just ‘agree’. Nodding at her, he whispered back, “I promise I’ll try, mother…”_ **

**_“Do it, Nines,” Amanda’s voice ghosted along his ears, “for that is the only way you’ll be able to save yourself…”_ **

**_“I will.”_ **

**_But how could he when he didn’t believe and understand??_ **

****

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Feeling pulled and torn from the memory, Nines fell messily down to the darkness, but he was caught at the last moment by ‘Agent Nines’. No, this hadn’t been a dream at all. He was able to confirm it for himself when he stared into the eyes of his infernal other half. “Asura…” he whispered, feeling horrified that he’d been in denial for so long.

Snickering, ‘Agent Nines’ shook his head as he steadied Nines on his feet. “I’m not a demon, and you and I both know it.”

“Mother never lies!” Nines argued vehemently, “she knows that—”

“She doesn’t know what I’ve done for you, does she?” Agent Nines countered, and Nines was rendered silent immediately. Unable to form a coherent answer right on the spot, all he could do was shake his head as his lips pursed in a surprised ‘o’ shape.

Agent Nines pressed on now that Nines remained silent and still. “She will never understand, you know…she would have you get rid of me, but you know you can’t,” pushing Nines down, he towered over him as he grinned menacingly. “You can’t, because you know you _need_ me.” While Nines gaped openly at him, Agent Nines bent down on his knees and cradled one side of Nines’ face in the palm of a hand. “You need me, and I need you, Nines! Together, we’re able to keep going, and you know it. I’m a part of you; I’m the part that you call upon whenever the guilt is too much to bear; I’m the one you need by your side whenever the bloodlust and frenzy is far too much and far too unbearable…”

Trembling, Nines didn’t want to admit these were all true. If he admitted to any of them, then there was no way he would be able to go back.

“You don’t need to fear me,” Agent Nines purred, stroking his soft skin up and down slowly and tenderly as his eyes glazed over with emotions Nines didn’t understand and recognize. “I’m your only friend and only hope, aren’t I?”

He couldn’t answer it. No way would he.

Hanging his head down low in pure misery, Nines felt himself on the brink of breaking out into tears and wild, reckless sobs. Fingers gently stroked his cheeks, and he stared down at the black floor with vacant, empty eyes.

“I know you aren’t strong right now, Nines,” the Agent within himself spoke confidently, “and that’s not your fault. I’ll take over for the time being, just until you gain your strength back.”

Not even hesitating, Nines shoved the hands off his face violently. “I hate you!! I despise you!!” How could he accept anything from such a creature when he knew that this monster lived and thrived deeply within his own mind?? How was he able to go on in strength when he knew he’d ruined such an innocent young man??

Moving back from him, Agent Nines sighed sadly, “You can hate me all you want; that’s what my intended purpose always has been, anyway.” He stood up, glaring all around above Nines’ head into the dark abyss. “Even the boy can hate me, I don’t care; I never wanted his affections anyway. I was a scapegoat; a reason; a purpose, and if it all must be _my_ doing and _my_ fault, then so shall it be…” As his eyes swam over the blackness engulfing them, he took a few steps back, almost disappearing into the darkness. “I’m willing to do every dirty little thing you’ve dreamt up in the back of your mind, and whenever you’re ready to accept me fully, then you’ll know where to find me.”

“WAIT!!!” As Nines reared up, he saw the glow around Agent Nines disappearing, and his other half was soon gone. A violent force suddenly slammed into Nines, and it seemed to be a powerful sucking sensation. He was moved back away from it, and once again, his entire world turned completely black.

He couldn’t even hear the sounds of his own screams drowning him.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

“For fuck’s sake, Connor,” Hank growled while he waved stiffly and awkwardly at Jeffrey Fowler while their ex-Captain approached, “don’t you _dare_ say a damn thing until I tell you to, are we clear?”

“Hank, I—”

“CONNOR! ANDERSON!” Captain Fowler’s voice boomed before them both, and interrupted any other thought or word either of them could utter. Gazing around the park wildly, Captain Fowler spotted the yellow-painted bridge, and then squinted at the body hidden away beneath Hank’s jacket. Still unable to believe his own eyes even after he’d wiped and rubbed them, he got down on his hands and knees, and while other officers secured the crime scene, he gently pushed aside Hank’s jacket.

Hank sighed softly to himself, “It’ll be any minute now before he—”

“AHH! JESUS FUCKING GOD!!!”

Holding a finger up, Hank nodded, “Thought so.”

Shoving the jacket over the corpse again, Captain Fowler got up, and nearly threw up. He slammed a hand over his own mouth, shaking and trembling. Hank merely rolled his eyes in disgust. “Your reaction is gonna make _me_ puke, Jeffrey,” he groused, “it’s not like you’ve never seen a dead body in this line of work before!”

The DPD police captain glared at Connor, and then at Hank. “What the fuck happened here?!?” his screams echoed in the distance a bit, but thankfully, the park had been secured, and all citizens visiting in it had been ordered to go home.

While Captain Fowler coughed and heaved, Connor pointed at the top of his head, “I like your hat, sir!!”

Gesturing at his own head, Captain Fowler growled, “My _hat_?? My fucking HAT?? That’s all you have to say for yourselves??” On top of his skull, he was wearing a black Fedora hat that went colorfully well along with his black suit, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.

Snorting at him in disgust, Hank spat, “I think you look like a damn clown, Jeffrey!” he then stomped a foot down aggressively, “we found the damn guy like this; he was already stabbed before we even got to him!!”

Scrunching up his face as though he didn’t believe Hank’s words, Fowler held out a trembling hand, and he held on for dear life onto the handrails of the bridge. “How the fuck did you two even find him? Huh?!”

Now, Hank felt he’d been thrown into quite the maze. Ideally, he wanted to tell his ex-captain the truth; not because he liked the man or respected him, but because he owed it to the law, rules of society, and wanted to stop this from ever happening again to anyone innocent. However, if he told Captain Fowler _everything_ , right down to the little microchip still hidden away in his right-hand palm, then it would be the end of everything. Fowler would take it, store it, and ask people far less trained and less intelligent to handle it, and they would absolutely mishandle it. Information would be lost, and there was just no way to explain this all to Captain Fowler right now. The man had an explosive temper, and a very short fuse to boot. It would accomplish nothing, and feeling that they’d made more progress on this case than the DPD would have in weeks, Hank decided right then and there to conceal bits of the situation.

Standing closer to Connor, he cleverly shifted himself from leg-to-leg, trying to grab Connor’s attention, somehow. If Captain Fowler saw the chip, they’d both be screwed!!!

Remembering to try and act cool and collected, he clasped his hands behind his back, and he drew closer to Connor. “You see, sir,” he began while trying to stare knowingly at Connor. Unfortunately, the android was far too busy staring at the trees and their leaves blowing about in the wind. It was pissing Hank right off, but he kept his composure while he gently elbowed Connor. “We were driving around town to get something to eat,” he explained while his arm extended towards Connor in a tiny nudge, “and then this damn vehicle the dead man over there was previously driving smashed into ours…”

Soon, a small black squirrel had captured Connor’s attention, and he beamed at it like a little child. Hank wasn’t giving up; he elbowed Connor once more.

“Go on, Hank,” Captain Fowler growled while eyeing them both suspiciously, “tell me more about the man’s car.”

“Err, right, sir,” he continued on, “you can search it yourself, but we followed the man until he crashed his car, and then he was bleeding all over the god damn place and it trailed the way to the park, right here!” As he spoke on, he inched his hand close to Connor’s, and using a few of his fingers, he hooked them onto Connor’s shirt sleeve, and he slowly and carefully yanked the android’s hand behind his own body. Connor turned and stared at him, but Hank merely nodded at Fowler.

The police captain sighed, took off his hat, and scratched at his head. “It makes no sense, though!! Why would he come all the way here just to lay out in his own blood and die?” his eyebrows tightened on his brow ridge, and he began thinking out loud. “I mean, didn’t he try to contact anyone else? Usually a dying man does that, unless he’s got something to hide…”

Now, Hank _really_ began worrying. Before Fowler could catch onto more oddities and clues Hank had purposefully left behind, the older male opened the palm of his hand, and he rubbed it directly over Connor’s in a last-minute attempt to get him to feel the chip. Connor gaped at him, but remained silent, and thankfully, Fowler turned around while studying his hat.

“Makes no god damn sense…”

Hank gave Connor a desperate look, and he then slid his hand over towards the back of Connor’s dress pants. Feeling along the way for the android’s pocket, his fingers slipped, and a few times, he’d almost dropped the chip.

Spinning half-way around, Fowler pointed at Connor, “You sure you didn’t recognize him at all, Connor?”

The RK800’s eyes widened, but then he shook his head, “No sir, he has no file.”

“Damn it!” Fowler turned back around, and he motioned for another officer to join him. While they were engaged in their own conversation, Hank hurriedly yanked open Connor’s back pocket, and he quickly shoved in the microchip. Watching just in case Fowler turned around, he ignored Connor’s gasps and struggles, and made sure the chip was tucked away neatly in the deepest part of the android’s pockets.

Squealing once Hank’s fingers hit his ass, Connor cried out in a giggle, “Haaaaank! Stop grabbing at my butt and just wait until we go home!!!”

Unfortunately, he’d said this rather loudly, and both Fowler and the officer by his side cringed. Waving the other man away uncomfortably, Fowler sighed as he placed his hands on his hips and shook his head in sheer disappointment at both Connor and Hank. “How many times have I told you _both_ to leave your romantic shit at home?? For god’s sake!!”

Hank was truthfully irate, but as long as Fowler thought they were doing something other than snooping around and acting suspicious, he was down for it, even if it meant being embarrassed and mortified in front of their ex-boss. As Hank struggled with shoving Connor’s hand away from his ass, Captain Fowler rolled his eyes at the pathetic sight before himself.

“Fuck it,” he grumbled, straightening his hat over his forehead as he then took a step away from them, “I’m going to get to the bottom of all this shit, once and for all!” his shoes scraped noisily along the gravel and dirt path, heading away from the bridge. “You two can stay here and eat each other’s asses and suck each other’s dicks for all I care,” ignoring the disgruntled and shocked looks both Hank and Connor gave him, he motioned for his officers to follow him.

Now that his ex-superior was away from them and out of earshot, Hank glared at Connor. “We have to get the fuck out of here, Connor!”

Police car doors opened and closed loudly, and afterwards, the medical examiner and ambulances arrives. Their sirens and horns blared loudly, and Hank held a hand to his ear while he shoved Connor back out the way they’d entered the park. It was so damn easy to get lost in such a large, spacious area, but he was determined they head home.

Giving Connor’s back pocket one last pat, he sighed out in relief when he felt the tiny, square microchip in there. Connor giggled, however, and tossing Hank a flirtatious wink, he whispered, “My my, Lieutenant, I didn’t think you were _that_ interested in me!!!”

Looking up towards the skies in pure exhaustion, it took everything Hank had within himself not to burst out in rage. “Shut the fuck up, Connor.”

As annoying as Connor’s words were, he knew they had bigger fish to fry and worry about catching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how I've written Connor here like he has ADD or something, when it's obvious he actually has the hots for Hank.  
> Too bad our old Lieutenant is so oblivious to it lol


	19. Masks We Wear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING, SOME MILDLY KINKY CRAP!*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin, meet Agent Nines.

Feeling something tickling and playing with the tip of his nose, Gavin frowned. He’d been in a deep slumber when a strange sensation ran along the bridge of his nose, sliding down his scar, and then circling his left nostril first, then the right. He’d tried ignoring it at first, but worrying later that it could’ve been some kind of a bug trying to crawl up his nose, he panicked. His eyes shot open in an instant, and as he swung his fists and arms about wildly, he felt a heavy pressure land right in the center of his chest.

“What the—” he was roughly shoved back down onto the mattress, and a moment later, a face hovered over his own. Blushing, Gavin’s breath got caught in his throat, “Oh…good morning?” he winced, knowing how dumb it sounded. Nines was looming over him, and he didn’t look too pleased. This was of course the man-android-he’d lost his virginity to, and the most romantic thing he could come up with was ‘good morning’?? He nearly melted through the sheets in mortification.

“Good morning to you too, sleepyhead,” came the deep, gravelly voice.

Frowning as the room and the circumstance hit him at once, Gavin rubbed his eyes, and then gaped about again. Everything was still dark, and it had little to do with the curtain and blinds being pulled strongly down. Turning his head around, Gavin soon located a small, digital clock resting on a small night table by the bed.

Blinking back sleep, still, he groaned when he read out what time it was, “Five-twenty-eight in the morning, Nines?!?!” hooking his fingers onto a pillow, he raised it above his head, ready to chuck it at Nines. “What the fuck is wrong with you??? It’s still dark out, and yet you wake me up like a—mmphh!!!” He’d been rudely interrupted by the pillow he’d been intending to throw at Nines being tugged out of his hands and brought down roughly over his own face.

Feeling like he was going to be smothered, Gavin fought back for his life. He kicked and clawed, but he was held down for the longest time. His throat burned and ached, as did his lungs. He was only breathing in pillow and sheets, and his eyes began watering while he panicked.

Why was Nines doing this to him!?!? Didn’t he love him as well?!

His vision grew blurry and hazy, and right when he felt as if his lungs were indeed about to explode, the pillow was suddenly removed from his face. Naturally, he sat up, swallowing and gulping down mouthfuls of fresh, cool air. Coughing and sputtering, he wiped his eyes and lips, feeling both tears and saliva pooling around his lips and in the corner of his mouth.

Once he felt more ‘alive’ and in less danger, he roared in pure anger. Bunching up the sheets in his fingers, he was shaken, and absolutely disturbed. Facing Nines, he screamed out at the top of his lungs, “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THA-AAAH!!!”

Yet again, Nines proved he had the upper hand in this situation. Easily overpowering Gavin’s youthful, hot-headed temper, he grabbed the younger man by his hips, and he flung him off the bed. Gavin rolled and tumbled down to the floor, tangling himself in the bed sheets and carpet as he groaned. His back surged and stung in pain, and he massaged it tenderly while blinking back tears.

When he had a portion of his energy back, he gripped the side of the bed, and he rose up on his knees. “N-Nines!” he gasped out, still blinking away hot, salty tears, “what the fuck is wrong with you?!?”

Glancing up at the android, he saw how confidently Nines stretched his large body on the center of the bed. He looked nothing short of proud of himself and his actions, and like a big jungle cat, he yawned and stretched his arms and legs straight before himself into the air. Purposefully, he shoved a hand right under Gavin’s nose, snickering when the younger male swatted it away. “You sleep too much,” Agent Nines spat down in vitriol and contempt at Gavin, “I was getting bored just watching you.”

“What the fuck kind of sicko just watches someone else sleep and then wakes them up by gifting them with a damn near experience of smothering?” Gavin glared at Nines, slowly getting up.

Agent Nines swept his eyes over Gavin’s naked form appreciatively. A hungry expression crossed over his features, suddenly, and he purred out deeply, “The same type of sicko who gave you the best fuck of your life last night; that’s who.”

Suddenly, Gavin saw the way Nines was staring at him. It made him feel beyond naked, even skin-deep. He was aware of his own physical state, and he wrapped the bed sheets around his sore, trembling body. Midway through, however, Nines leapt at him, stopping him by yanking the sheets away from him.

“D-don’t!”

Grinning menacingly, Agent Nines leaned over the younger, shorter male, and he whispered hotly into his ear, “What do you have to hide anyway?? Hmm??” toying with the boy, he added, “I think we’re far past hiding and modesty, don’t you think?”

Gavin couldn’t even bring himself to answer. He only shook violently a few times, but then tried to snap out of it. He hadn’t slept too well, he needed a cigarette, he hadn’t taken his pills yet, and he had just lost his virginity all while being chased and nearly killed. It’d been far too much trauma for his mind and body to take, and he held onto Nines’ hand as he trembled and pressed himself against the android’s sturdy chest.

When he peered down and saw Gavin clinging onto him so desperately, Agent Nines found it rather amusing, pathetic, and charming. He understood completely why Nines was drawn to this youth to begin with, now. Speaking above a whisper, he let his words fly over the top of the younger male’s skull, “We should get out of here; a lot of bad people are going to swarm this damn place before you can even decide what you want for breakfast, so I suggest you make haste.” Slapping Gavin’s ass roughly, he chuckled deeply, and then began padding away towards the bathroom.

As he was left there alone in the middle of bedroom while sputtering in confusion, Gavin ignored the stinging sensation over his ass cheek, and he instead chose to follow Nines into the bathroom. At first, he didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t ignore it and deny it any longer. Something was terribly off about Nines, and it had to be more than the strange device having this weird type of effect on him. No, this was deeper, and Gavin sometimes felt as if he’d been talking to and spending time with someone else entirely; not Nines.

While the android searched around for a pair of clean clothes, he turned on the shower facet, and he washed himself off hurriedly. Pausing, he sniffed at his arms, and then grumbled, “I even smell like you…I hope it washes off.”

Gavin pressed himself against the shower door, and he tried peering in at Nines through the glass. His nose was right up against the door, and suddenly, Nines definitely knew he was being watched. He didn’t appreciate it a lot, apparently, and he sprayed some water right into the glass where Gavin’s eyes were watching and peering. Moving back a little, Gavin got over the tiny shock, and he squinted at Nines intently.

Scowling heatedly at him, Agent Nines snapped shortly, “The hell do you want?”

The unnecessary rudeness didn’t matter to Gavin at all. In fact, nothing was going to get in his way of figuring out what the hell was going on with Nines. Bravely, he slid open the shower door, and he walked into the stall with Nines. Thankfully, he was still nude, and the lukewarm water sprayed over his body nicely and sweetly. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time or any interest in enjoying it all; he wanted to take a closer look at Nines.

When he’d leaned up on the tips of his toes to do the task, Nines took his close proximity in another way altogether. Grinning in a slightly lewd manner, his eyebrows shot up, and while Gavin had been intently gazing into his eyes, Nines wrapped both arms around the younger man’s thin waist. Dragging Gavin’s body flush against his own, he whispered softly, “Well hullllooo there, beautiful…” he dug his face into Gavin’s neck, and he began lightly nipping and biting the warm, pink skin there.

Involuntarily, Gavin let out a soft moan, and in seconds, he felt the tip of his cock stirring. Struggling in the android’s firm grasp, his eyes searched his toned, powerful body, and they eventually landed on Nines’ chest.

Odd…the mark and hole the sharp Advanced Stasis Stagnation device had created didn’t appear to be here…had Nines healed himself?? It was possible, but then again, due to how he’d sexually thrust himself upon Gavin last night, the younger male supposed he wasn’t able to see much of anything anyway in the heat of it all.

Ever curious, he thumbed Nines’ chest where the mark should’ve been present. Yet again, the android took every gesture bestowed upon himself the wrong way, and he pinched one of Gavin’s nipples. Suddenly, before Gavin knew it, he’d let out a loud, deep moan.

No!!!! This wasn’t what he’d come here to do!!! But apparently, Nines had a whole different agenda altogether. He began sniffing and scenting Gavin like some kind of wild mutt in heat, and he nibbled Gavin’s earlobe playfully. When he leaned in close enough, Gavin stretched himself upwards, and he fisted bits of Nines’ dark hair. Since it was already really drenched, he knew it appeared a shade darker, but there still was something ‘off’ about it all.

He made an attempt to grab more of it so he could bring it under the shower lights for closer inspection and study, but then, Nines really got rough. Thinking that Gavin was in the mood for ‘rough sex’, he growled playfully, slapped and spanked Gavin’s ass a few times, and bent him over the shower wall. “You dirty little bitch,” Nines deeply chuckled into his ears, and Gavin began panicking when the palm of Nines’ large, heavy hand connected with his bare ass.

“Nooo!!! Please!!!” his feet slipped and made loud squealing and squelching sounds while he fought and wriggled in Nines’ grasp.

“You’re not going to just light up my fuse that way without paying the price,” Agent Nines growled seductively, enjoying how Gavin’s ass turned pink anytime he spanked him. Continuing the motions, he purred in delight when Gavin arched just in the right way directly into his touches. “See? You like it,” he noted, and then slowly and softly ran his fingers through Gavin’s wet hair. Clenching a bundle of it in between his long, strong fingers, he suddenly yanked it all in one rough tug. Gavin let out a pained scream as his head and neck were forced back.

Agent Nines sneered, “Feels good, right?”

Shaking his head, Gavin cried, “NO! Let me go!!!” What the hell was with Nines lately?!?! He’d never done anything so forcefully with him before, and he always made sure he never went beyond Gavin’s limits!!! Something was _definitely NOT_ right, and this was a solid confirmation.

Another brutal slap was delivered to his ass, and this time, when the warm water poured over his skin, it really stung and hurt. There was no pleasure anymore, and Gavin was beginning to have enough of the treatment. Nines didn’t seem to want to stop, however. He drew his hand back and spanked Gavin two more times, and Gavin growled at him one last time to get him to cease and desist.

Pausing, Agent Nines droned out, “Don’t act like you don’t want it, you slut.”

But he didn’t!!! Gavin knew himself, and he knew he didn’t want or need this at all! Rough sex had never been something of even a minor interest to him to watch or research into, and he never had associated it with something Nines would even be interested in!! Something was horribly off about this man he was in love with, and as he peeked over his shoulder at Nines, he blinked through the steam and water so he could get a better look at the powerful android. He’d already held some suspicions when he’d first found Nines in the bathroom the other night, but everything had escalated and advanced so quickly, that he hadn’t had nearly enough time to figure out what was going on. In the morning when he’d woken up, he’d seen it again, this time more closely. Nines did in fact look different, and it made Gavin worry greatly.

While he was still the same height, build, and overall had the same ‘physical’ appearance, there had been minor differences and changes that Gavin had missed at first glance. Nines definitely had darker hair, and as Gavin zeroed in on his eye color, he saw that they were more green than blue!

“Nines!!”

Still refusing to stop, the android bent down and bit hard into the center of Gavin’s back. The pain Gavin felt spiraling into the core of his body had been the final tipping point.

It was enough.

With a mighty roar befitting a lion, Gavin reared back, and he kicked Nines as hard as he could right in the balls. He knew androids didn’t feel pain anywhere, but he’d meant for it to be something of an advantage in terms of catching the android off-guard with the jerky movement. It wasn’t a failed effort; Nines cried out in shock, and when he leapt back for a second, Gavin spun around on his heels, and he gripped Nines hard by the neck. With every ounce of strength and energy he’d summoned up in his body, he tugged Nines as hard as he could right out of the shower when he’d slid open the glass door. The two naked, wet bodies slid against each other, and Gavin fell with his back headed directly for the hard floor.

However, right before he could make brutal contact with the floor, Nines spun him around, and he made it so that Gavin landed softly on his chest instead of being bashed against the floor. With Nines as a ‘cushion’ and protective barrier of sorts, Gavin curled against the android’s chest, and he growled and screamed in a mixture of rage, contempt, and sadness.

He felt a large hand cradling and stroking the back of his head, and he whimpered as he drew closer to the touch. How could Nines be this way?!?! One minute so rough and violent, and then the next, so gentle, so loving…it tugged at Gavin’s heart, and before he knew it, he’d lost himself to uncontrolled rounds of sobbing.

As he cried on and on, Agent Nines sighed as he held him closely. “Ahh, shit, kid,” he chuckled, “don’t get all sentimental on me, okay?”

Sniffling, Gavin moved away, and he wiped his eyes and nose with the back of a hand while glaring at ‘Nines’. “You’re acting so weird!” he pointed out realistically and precisely, “I’m worried!!”

Pressing his forehead against the youth’s, Agent Nines beamed at him, “Aww shucks, worried about moi?” inching his head up, he gripped Gavin’s chin roughly, and then licked the tip of his nose, “you shouldn’t have, baby…”

“UGHHH!” Gavin wiped the wetness off his nose quickly, and pulled a moue of disgust in the process. “Why’re you so nasty today??”

Agent Nines winked lewdly, “Only ‘ _today_ ’?” he purposefully let his thumb and index finger flick over Gavin’s right nipple.

The younger male swatted his hand away, “Don’t!! Be serious for a moment, okay??”

Not really wanting to argue, Agent Nines sighed, rolled his eyes, and dropped his hands down to rest in his lap. “Fine,” he nodded down at his hands, “my hands will remain down here, okay? You happy, now?”

“Mildly,” Gavin snapped, and he then pointed at Nines’ hair and eyes, “why do you look different, Nines?”

Shit.

Yet again, he’d underestimated this young man. He’d thought that Gavin wouldn’t notice the minor discrepancies, but since he already had, there was no real way out of it…but he _could_ bend the truth and reality a little…he was really damn good at it, after all.

Brushing himself off coolly, Agent Nines pulled both himself and Gavin up. Gently nudging the boy so he was closer to the towels, he watched as Gavin grabbed one and began drying himself off. As he did so, Agent Nines thought about exactly how to frame and phrase his explanation. When he had a ‘suitable’ one in mind, he merely beamed at Gavin while waving at his own face. “It’s nothing to be alarmed about, Gavin!” moving forward so he was before the vanity counter top and mirror, he leaned over it. Placing both hands on either side of the round sink, he stared away at his own reflection in the clean glass. It was still slightly dewy and foggy from the steam of the shower, but he was able to see both himself and Gavin’s face reflected back clear enough. “Every android has features they can shift and change about themselves, you know…” while this wasn’t entirely a lie, it wasn’t anywhere near pure honesty either.

Well, none of it mattered, and as long as Gavin bought into it, he was happy.

The adolescent frowned in confusion, but then he ‘slowly’ seemed to catch on. His jaw dropped, and he muttered out, “Oooh, I think I’ve read about this once before somewhere!” pointing at the mirror, he added in, “you guys can change your hair color and eye color, and sometimes vocal tones and pitch, right?”

Agent Nines hummed, “Yep, more or less.”

“But why, Nines?” Gavin pushed on, an eyebrow raised cautiously, “I liked you as you were before…”

Damn innocent.

Although there was nothing to ‘like’, Agent Nines continued to play along. “I did this for a disguise, Gavin,” now, this was closer to the truth, only not in the situation Gavin and ‘Nines’ had been previously experiencing. “I can protect you better this way, and since we’ve been ‘attacked’ before, I—”

Stepping up confidently towards the mirror, Gavin gazed into it with determination, and it cut off Agent Nines’ statement completely. “Then I want to change my appearance too,” Gavin stated plainly, and the way he’d said it left no room for arguing or disagreeing.

Snickering a tad awkwardly, Agent Nines pressed out softly, “You can’t exactly just up and do that; you’re not an android.”

“I want to dye my hair, maybe wear some colored contacts,” the youth answered dryly, “it can be done you know.”

“Hmm, perhaps it’s not a bad idea to take a trip to a pharmacy after all…”

Resting a hand on his stomach, Gavin nodded, “I’m hungry, too.”

“Of course you are.”

So was he, but for an entirely different reason altogether.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

“Get off me, Sumo!!” Hank shoved his excited dog aside the moment the large animal bound forth and leapt on top of him as soon as he’d unlocked and opened his front door that night. Connor remained behind him, meekly gazing about as he waited for Hank to take off his shoes and throw himself down onto the living room couch.

“Well,” he panted out as he exerted himself to keep Sumo down while the dog liberally coated his throat and neck in wet, slobbering kisses, “there goes my fuckin’ coat…you owe me a new coat, Connor, you hear me?” Not waiting for a response, Hank sighed as he leaned back in his seat, and he pushed the reclining sofa back as he tilted his neck down on a small pillow and draped the back of his arm over his forehead to shield his eyes from the bright lights of the living room beaming down upon them.

Sumo whined and tried pawing at Hank, desperately trying to get his attention a few times, but each and every time, his grumpy owner merely ignored him. Turning all his attention to Connor, he pointed at him while grousing, “You nearly got us caught, you know, but in the end, your stupid act just saved our asses.”

Lifting a curious eyebrow, Connor hummed, “Hmm? My ‘act’?”

Hank nodded, “Yeah! You know! The one where you were after my ass? Literally?” he shoved Sumo away when the large dog leapt up one last time on his lap. He thumped down clumsily to the floor, and Hank growled, “Warned ya, pal!”

Yelping, Sumo bound over to Connor, whining pathetically as he rubbed his snout by Connor’s hand. Hank rolled his eyes, “Stop suckin’ up to Connor; it won’t do you any good.”

The RK800 stroked Sumo’s large, floppy ears for a moment, and then he made his way across the living room to sit beside Hank on the sofa.

“It just makes no sense,” the older Lieutenant mumbled more so to himself than to his work partner, “why would that guy just give us that chip when he knew we were law-enforcement? Don’t guys like him usually run _away_ from people like us??”

Connor didn’t answer; he just stared ahead as he rested his hands and folded them in his lap. He sat still and stoically, LED light merely spinning in a small, blinking circle while Hank glared up at the ceiling. Sumo looked back and forth between them both, his tail wagging semi-excitedly while he waited for them to give him some attention.

Hank sat up first, growling to himself, “We should look at what’s on that damn microchip, Connor.” Snapping his fingers as if Connor were a trained animal, he hissed at him, “Hand it over to me for a sec.”

When Connor didn’t do as he was told, Hank growled again, “Connor! Give it!” to further emphasize his order, he prompted Connor by whistling at him, but all it did was earn him a heated glare from the android, and another playful round of attacks and licks from Sumo.

“I’m not a dog!” Connor complained, and Hank roared as he held Sumo down.

“God damn it! Just give me the fuckin’ thi—”

He stopped when Connor gripped one of his legs in a hand, and he surged forth, his face directly before Hank’s. The surprised Lieutenant panted out, “Connor! What’re you doing???”

Though he couldn’t blush, Connor’s eyelashes fluttered nervously, and he threw Hank a shy glance. “Hank?” he began in a soft, sincere questioning tone, “do you like me?”

Swallowing nervously, Hank gazed around the room, trying not to look into Connor’s puppy-dog eyes. “Umm, what the hell kind of question is _that_ , Connor??” he coughed, waving a hand before himself, as if swatting some kind of annoying housefly, “you know that I like you!! What the hell??”

Shaking his head with determination pooling in his depths, Connor hissed out, “That’s not what I mean, Hank…” peering down shyly once again, he whispered softly, “you like me as a friend; I know that already.”

Wanting this all to be over with already, Hank grumbled, “Well then why ask? You know the answer, sheesh!!” Pressing a hand between his own body and Connor’s chest, he feebly attempted to create a good enough distance between them both. “Connor!” he cried out weakly, “you’re actin’ really weird right now, and this isn’t important!”

The RK800 was practically clamoring for him while climbing up on his lap. Barking eagerly, Sumo was obviously excited, and thinking they were playing some kind of a new, interesting game, the dog leapt up on the sofa where Connor had previously been sitting.

“SUMO! GET DOWN!!!”

Connor gripped his cheeks and cupped them in his hands, which were surprisingly warm. Hank gasped when Connor pressed their foreheads together. They were so close…

When he glanced up, he saw Connor leaning forward even closer, and their lips were now inches away from finally meeting. Connor’s eyes were in heavy lidded slits, and he smiled warmly as he drew closer.

“Hank,” came his heavy whisper, “do you like me enough to want to…use condoms with me?”

The awkwardness slowly settled into his brain, and then Hank screamed at the top of his lungs. Using all the strength he held in his upper body, he shoved Connor to the side, and the android collided with Sumo. They gaped at each other for a moment, and then Sumo uttered a deep ‘woof!’ before leaping off the sofa. Apparently, he’d grown weary and bored of this game, and he ran away to clean himself and munch on his doggie treats from his bowl in the kitchen.

Pushing his messy hair back into place, Connor sighed a sad sigh, and Hank mumbled, “Don’t pout, and don’t give me your ‘innocent shit’, Connor. We’re work partners, do you understand?” feeling the need to emphasize it again, he hissed, “ _work partners_ means just that; partners who work together! We’re not going to have any kind of a romantic or sexual relationship, okay?” Hating that he had to resort to being so harsh and cold, he sat back once again while covering his rosy face in the palm of his hand.

Fuckin’ androids.

Connor was strangely quiet for a long, long time, but then he shimmied off the couch. “Fine, Hank,” he panted gruffly, “I get it, and it’s fine.”

Feeling like a total dick, now, the older male held out a hand, trying to steady Connor, “Wait, Connor, I—”

Pushing his hands away, Connor stood up to his full height, and he then withdrew the microchip from his back pocket. Holding it up before himself, he smiled at it, though it was such a pained, weak smile, and it didn’t even hold a candle in comparison to the usually large, excited, wide smiles he’d often smiled. “I’m fine, Hank,” he said after some difficulty, “you rest here, and I’ll study what’s stored on this chip.”

Closing his eyes slowly, Hank painfully ground out, “You sure?”

“Mhm,” Connor nodded, turning the microchip a few times over between his fingers, “it doesn’t even require the use of a laptop; I can easily just scan it, transfer the data into my system, decipher any protective codes or passwords, and get through any other compressed files and such. Don’t worry.”

As always, Connor knew how to ‘patch’ things up, but this time, it seemed weaker than any previous attempt he’d made. Knowing he’d screwed up big time, Hank face-palmed, and he merely groaned through his hand, “Fine, do your thing, Connor.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t long before the android’s footsteps padded down the hallway towards Hank’s room, and then his door clicked shut softly.

When Hank was left alone, he heard Sumo approaching him, and he glanced up from the top of his hand at his beloved pet. The moment their eyes met, Sumo revealed his fangs, and he emitted a warning growl at Hank.

Not even reeling back from it, Hank nodded sadly, “I know, I fuckin’ deserve it, Sumo…I fucked up.”

His dog growled even louder, and then huffed at him, turned around, and stalked off into the kitchen.

Now, Hank was left feeling more alone than ever, but for once, he was willing to accept it and put up with it. He’d truly fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hank, you dun goof'd. All Connor wanted to do was be with you -_- Even Sumo's pissed.


	20. Mysticism and Dualism

Gavin searched through his school bag wildly, already having a mini panic attack. He hadn’t taken his pills in almost two days, and already, his vain imaginings and negative thoughts had returned to him. Perhaps that was why he thought Nines was different? His therapist had often told him and warned him that if he didn’t take his antidepressants regularly, he would indeed fall prey to strange, disturbing, and imaginative thoughts. This was probably what was currently happening to him…

He searched harder, shoving aside his dirty clothes and towels, and then turning the bag upside down as he dumped all the contents out onto the floor. Behind himself, he could hear Nines walking about while he got dressed. He stopped right behind Gavin, and he huffed, “What’re you doing, now?”

Gavin pushed bits of his wet bangs back, “My pills,” he grumbled, “I can’t find them…have you seen them?”

The android shrugged coldly, “I haven’t seen anything, really.”

Gavin wasn’t stupid. He knew that this was another childish game, and it was only because Nines had emphasized the word ‘seen’. It’d been a slight emphasis, but Gavin-in his oversensitive state-caught onto it. Glaring soundly over his shoulder at the tall android, he spat, “Fuckin’ semantics! Did you touch my pills?”

A very cruel, evil grin formed its way on Nines’ handsome features, then, and he scoffed.

Gavin got up to his feet, and he shoved an open hand out before Nines, “Give them back.”

………….

“NOW.”

Rolling his eyes, the android sighed a rather dramatic sigh, but he yanked out the pills from the back of his dark dress pants pockets. “No need to be so bitchy,” he began, and then watched as Gavin snatched the pills clean out of the palm of his hand. As the younger male held the bottle protectively to his chest, Agent Nines sneered, “What’re those anyway? Birth control?”

Gavin’s jaw fell wide open, “You idiot!”

“Hmm, well, I’ll go along with my second guess, then,” Agent Nines continued in a mocking tone, “they’re hormonal pills, aren’t they?”

“You’re disgusting!” Gavin spat, cradling the bottle and taking a few steps back to glare at Nines from head to toe.

Purring in glee, the android hissed, “So I take it that they’re not the morning after pill either?”

When Gavin gaped at him for a long time without saying a word or even moving, the tall, burly android merely snickered, walked past Gavin into the center of the bedroom, and then, along the way, he pinched Gavin’s ass.

“AHHH!” Gavin leapt up, then groaned in distaste, “Can’t you keep your d-damn hands to yourself?!” he cried out vehemently, “you’re so…!! You’re s-so…!!”

Knowing he was unable to finish his sentence, Agent Nines grinned proudly, standing before the dresser mirror as he held onto a tiny pair of scissors Gavin hadn’t seem him even pick up. “What?” he chuckled, “I’m so sexy? So charming?” Holding the scissors confidently, he began snipping away at his bangs, and within a few minutes, as Gavin watched in awe, he’d chopped and fashioned his bangs to fall into his eyes and over his forehead. It had been organized into tiny layers, and they fell professionally and fashionably over the longer pieces hanging back. In the sunlight, the android’s hair was definitely almost black, but with just a tinge of chocolate brown beneath the bangs.

When Gavin had been far too quiet, Agent Nines droned on, “Or am I charismatic? Dashing? Handsome?”

Finally snapping out of his daydreaming, Gavin glared and spat, “No, you’re just so fuckin’ annoying, Nines! That’s what you are!!”

Pouting childishly, Agent Nines set the scissors down when he was finished using them, and he ruffled his hair a little. It sat in place perfectly, and Gavin felt a tiny bit jealous that the android could look so ‘good’ without even working hard. He’d never considered himself ‘blessed’ enough to have handsome features, so he remained scowling petulantly while Nines straightened his fancy blue dress shirt and dark pants.

Turning around after he was all set, he grinned at Gavin with arrogance oozing out of his eyes and smile, “Don’t I look good?”

“As if you need my god damn validation,” came the snappy response from the envious young man.

Pondering about it for not even a second, Agent Nines nodded, “Yeah, come to think of it, you’re right; I don’t need it.” Shoving past Gavin, he whistled a strange tune while bustling about and getting ready to leave the cabin. He put on his dark dress shoes, adjusted his tie, and played with his hair one last time while Gavin slowly put on his own clothes-which were nowhere near as fancy as Nines’.

They both made their way towards the tiny hallway, and as Gavin lugged his heavy school bag around, he accidentally got in Nines’ way. The android had been trying to fish out something from the hallway closet, and when Gavin stood in his way, he merely rolled his eyes, gripped the boy’s strong hips, and lightly scooted him out of his path. “Excuse me,” he hissed, and reached up into the closet for the highest shelf.

Wondering what it was he’d been looking for, Gavin found that Nines pulled down a tiny GPS device, and he tossed it at Gavin. “Here,” he huffed, “occupy your mind with something.”

Frowning, Gavin asked, “But where are we going? We have no car, and I’m pretty sure that the guy you k-killed two nights ago has friends who’ll come lookin’ for him!!” Shaking at the very idea of it, Gavin peered down the hall, and he’d almost been expecting to see the man’s rotting corpse there before the fireplace.

But of course, it was gone. He hadn’t even seen it when he climbed out of his hiding spot the other day.

“Wh-where is h-he?” he stammered out at Nines, and he watched as the android placed a hand on his hip and shook his head while rolling his eyes.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” he spat sarcastically, “he’s sprouted wings and flown away to heaven!”

Shoving the android as hard as he could, Gavin grunted painfully, “Don’t be such a douche, Nines!! What have you done with his body?”

Truthfully, if he knew Nines as well as he knew himself, he was willing to bet his last nerve on the fact that Nines had gotten rid of the body in a clever way according to how he’d been trained to do so. Glancing once over at the fireplace, he saw no traces of even bloodstains.

Yes. Clever Nines. Wise Nines. Good Nines.

Smirking at Gavin, he pointed in the direction of the fireplace, “I got rid of it, silly.” Shoving the younger male towards the ‘secret’ location and tunnel beneath the old cabin, he continued, “After all, what kind of an Agent would I be if I didn’t clean up after making a mess? Hmm?”

Clutching his bag and the GPS, Gavin hurriedly moved along, trying not to trip over his over feet in the process. “Where are we going, though?? You still didn’t tell me!”

Stopping him once he’d opened up the entrance to the long, dark tunnels, Agent Nines tapped on the device, “We’re going to Walgreens! I’ve already placed that as a go-to source,” he announced proudly and happily, smiling widely, “I figured it’d be the best place we can get our shit together.”

He tried shoving Gavin in through the doorway once again, but he was met with resistance. Before he lost his temper and just chucked the boy down the tiny passageway, he paused when he saw Gavin chewing on his lower lip and looking down at their feet almost shamefully. For some reason, it lit a fire in the pit of Agent Nines’ loins, and he snuck a finger beneath the boy’s chin. Forcing him to meet his eyes, he snickered, “If you keep acting like that and looking at me all cute and shit, I don’t think we’ll make it out of here by today, you know what I mean?” Before he could lean down and bite on Gavin’s lips, the younger male pushed back from his embrace.

His chin quivered, and he stammered out, “N-Nines, d-did you know that g-guy who died here a few nights ago?” after a second’s worth of a short pause, he glanced up to look into the android’s green eyes, “please be honest with me! I won’t be angry, okay?? I just…” he held onto Nines’ tie with cold hands, “…I just need to know…”

Eyeing him with distaste, Agent Nines untangled Gavin’s small fingers from his tie, “What’re you yammering on about? Of course I didn’t fucking know—”

Gavin stared at him seriously, then, and his words died down right away on the tip of his tongue. Of course he’d been lying, and the younger man knew it fully well. Agent Nines grew testy, then, and he hated that he’d been caught red-handed by someone so young and dull. This wasn’t how things usually went for him, and he resented Gavin.

Frowning deeply, he brushed his clothes off and spat out dryly, “Look, whether I knew him or not isn’t really a huge deal, so let’s just hurry along, alright?”

“It’s not a huge deal to you??!” Gavin gasped, unable to comprehend it, “are you fuckin’ serious, Nines?!”

Shrugging, Agent Nines said, “Well, I doubt it matters when I fucking drained him of every last drop of blood he had, skinned him, dismembered him, burned his clothes, skin, bones, and cast the ashes away, right?”

Upon hearing all that horrendous, ghastly news along with such vivid, intense details, Gavin held a hand over his stomach, and he pressed another one over his mouth. “I’m going to puke…dear god…”

Shrugging once again, Agent Nines pushed past him into the tunnels, “Well, if you’re going to vomit, can you at least make sure you don’t get any of it on my outfit? This stuff costs money, you know.”

He wasn’t even a few steps into the darkness, when Gavin gripped him by the elbow and yanked him back marginally. Panting desperately and in a fit of rage, Gavin huffed and puffed at him, chest rising and falling wildly. Agent Nines merely chuckled, “You look like some kind of mad bull.”

“How can you be so fucking cold?!” Gavin’s screams ricocheted off the walls of the tight tunnel. Agent Nines stopped moving, and he glared over his shoulder at Gavin, LED light yellow in a warning color. However, before he could respond, Gavin shot out, “You’re an asshole, Nines!!” shoving the android once again, he unleashed his anger and rage out as much as he could while Agent Nines silently observed him. “You’re talking about killing a guy like it means nothing to you!! This isn’t you, Nines!!! I know the real you, and this isn’t you!!!”

Standing away from Gavin, Agent Nines took in all of Gavin’s body from head to toe. Yet again, this boy had truly fascinated him and left him feeling utterly bewildered and astonished. Not much time had passed between Nines and the youth, and yet this kid who barely knew his left hand from his right hand was already catching onto all the details, the nuances in his personality, the idiosyncrasies, and just what made Nines and Agent Nines so vastly unique and separate.   

Damn brat.

“Nines…” Gavin squinted very seriously and carefully at him, and he inched a hand up along his face, “please…just tell me what’s going on…”

What was going on?

No. Not a chance in heaven or in hell.

Putting on a sly, phony grin at once, he brushed himself off again, and then flicked some specks of dust, dirt, and cobwebs off the boy’s clothes. Leaning down against him, he flashed him his best smile, and he sighed warmly, “What do you want for breakfast?”

Gavin blinked rapidly, indicative of sheer confusion, “What?!” He couldn’t believe how Nines had quickly leapt from one extreme to the next. “Seriously, do you have like, bipolar disorder or some shit?” he shook his head and snorted, “tasteless, Nines.”

“I know someone who’s likely starving!” Agent Nines sang out, sinking his fingertips into Gavin’s meaty shoulders, and he began shoving and guiding the boy forward. “Get that fine ass moving, or so help me, I’ll kick you into next Wednesdaaaaayyy!”

Gavin grumbled something in response, but Agent Nines truly didn’t give a shit what it was. He made sure to instruct Gavin to set the tracker and GPS system to navigate them to the nearest Walgreens, and as Gavin did, he cried out, “So we’re walkin’ all the damn way, then?”

“It’s not that far,” Agent Nines hissed while walking ahead faster, “let’s pick up the pace, and I promise it’ll all be my treat! You can pick whatever you want, and I’ll treat you to it!” he held out a hand before Gavin, then, “deal?”

Reluctantly, Gavin groaned, but shook the android’s hand in his own firmly. “Deal.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

“Hank? What do you want for breakfast?” Connor’s voice flew into Hank’s bedroom the following morning, and the exhausted Lieutenant sighed and mumbled while wiping the drool and sleep off his eyes and lips. He couldn’t recall the dream he’d had last night, but obviously, it’d been something highly delectable and pleasant, otherwise, he’d never have senselessly drooled onto his pillows like some stupid child.

Although he was unable to remember his dream vividly, he knew that whenever he’d woken up with drool all over his pillows and sheets, it meant one of two things. He’d either been dreaming about good meals, or sex. Hank Anderson wasn’t an overly complicated guy; he only required the basic things in his life, and whenever those needs were met, he was an all-around happy, friendly guy.

Groaning as he stretched his sore, stiff muscles and bones, he focused on his stomach, and he found that he wasn’t really all that hungry.

Option 2 it was, then.

Surreptitiously, he glanced around his room to check if Connor was about. When he confirmed for his own eyes that the RK800 wasn’t around, he very quietly snuck a hand under his shorts between his legs. Moving the sheets aside so he could maneuver his hands between his thighs, he gave his bulge a tiny squeeze. It didn’t seem to be erect…

Needing to check more seriously, Hank yanked the sheets back completely, and he sat on the edge of his bed while pulling the waistband of his boxers away from his abdomen. Craning his neck down, he took a small peek…

“So I have an opportunity to cohabit with an infamous police Lieutenant who was well known for being the youngest Lieutenant in Detroit history, was an integral part of the Red Ice task force team, as well as secured a number of high-profile arrests, and yet _this_ is what I discover him doing first thing in the morning?” Connor’s voice was closer than Hank had ever expected, and he gave out a surprised scream.

“CONNOR!!!” Nearly falling off his bed in a clumsy heap, Hank barely had time to push the crumpled-up sheets off himself, when a long, hot, wet slobbery tongue assaulted his face. “GAAAAAAAAR!!! SUMO!!!”

This morning really sucked so far.

Rolling his eyes at the silly display of Hank trying to get Sumo off his own chest while the large animal playfully nipped at Hank’s shirt, Connor wasn’t amused in the slightest. He leaned against the doorway, simply watching until he knew Hank was unable to take Sumo any longer. When the Lieutenant cried out for help, Connor moved over towards them on the floor, and he gently tugged back on Sumo’s collar. The large canine moved to the side obediently, but not before licking Connor’s hand gently.

Groaning in relief, Hank let his hands and head plop down onto the carpet. He closed his eyes, and he ground out, “Thanks for that, dog-food breath!”

Sumo whined pathetically, and his tail wagged a little.

“He is apologizing, give him a break!” Connor hissed out, gently tapping Hank’s foot with his own.

Shoving Connor’s foot away, Hank hissed, “God damn it, Connor! Don’t fall for that mutt’s tricks!!” wagging a finger over at Sumo, he growled rather deeply, “he’s not as innocent as he appears, trust me…”

Sumo let out one deep bark, and then padded out of the room without even glancing back.

Hank nodded, “That’s what I thought.”

Placing a hand on the bridge of his nose and pinching it in frustration, Connor said softly, “We’re all out of eggs, Hank, and I’m _not_ in the mood to do your shopping today, so what do you want for breakfast?”

Snorting, Hank sat up on his knees, and he wiped the rest of Sumo’s saliva off his skin. Sniffing his hand, he groaned, “I need a fuckin’ shower…” when Connor glared at him, he snapped out of it and just shrugged, “shit, I don’t know, Connor! Jam and toast??”

“Jam and toast?” the android repeated, and then clicked his tongue against his teeth, “whatever.”

Hank threw his hands up into the air, “Or we can go shopping together!!” Unable to stop the words from flying out of his mouth, all he could do was hang back and hope they weren’t as desperate and cringeworthy as he thought they sounded.

It was as if he’d thrown a brick at Connor. The android froze midway through turning to head out of the room, but then he just stood there still and quiet. Hank found himself thinking in the back of his mind, ‘please say yes, please say yes’…but why was he nervous?!? It wasn’t like he was asking Connor out on a date!!!

“Y-you want to go shopping with _me_?” Connor asked meekly, a little surprised more than pleased. “You…I mean,” he shook his head as his LED light spun yellow, “you always get me to do your shopping alone, though…why the sudden interest in keeping me company?”

The question slammed into Hank, suddenly, but he supposed Connor had a right to ask it, after all. “I didn’t mean to spring this all on you at once, Connor,” he began empathetically to set the tone and mood right, “but I think we should kinda change things up around here a bit, don’t you agree?”

The android didn’t move for a long time, but he simply stared on at Hank in sheer silence. A niggling feeling began working itself in Hank’s gut suddenly, and he worried that Connor was going to reject and refuse him.

Well…if he was going to do that, Hank knew he would have to start begging and groveling. He’d been previously married for nearly a decade anyway; he knew the signs of an angry ‘spouse’ when he saw one, and right now, Connor kind of fit the bill. He also seemed very jealous, for some reason, though Hank held back on that theory for the time being. He needed his own conscience to be clear before he sucked up to Connor.

Putting on a sincere expression, he sighed, “Come on, Connor! Let’s just start the day off with something pleasant instead of just arguin’ back and forth with one another, okay?” Praying and hoping Connor would agree and just give in, Hank tossed him a small smile, and waited for Connor to meet his eyes.

Unfortunately, the moment he did, Hank confirmed his worst fears; Connor wasn’t pleased and willing at all to make this day pleasant.

Scowling irritably at Hank, the RK800 spat, “So do you need me to come shopping with you so you can pick up new condoms, then?? Hmm??” he tilted his head and glared sarcastically, “I mean, considering how the other ones you have in your car are expired…”

Hank placed a hand over his forehead and sighed in exhaustion, “Connor, are we back on the damn condom topic again?” Weren’t they over this, already?! Why did Connor have to get stuck on such menial crap like a woman?! Waving his hand at the android, Hank spat out, “Don’t hold a grudge, Connor! It’s not like that!”

The RK800 hadn’t stop glaring at him, and he merely crossed his long arms over his chest. “I doubt it, Hank,” he drawled coldly, “but in any event, I’m _not_ going to be your personal maid, running around town getting you condoms, anal beads, ball-gags, butt plugs, cock rings, nipple clamps, and—”

Hank grew pale in the face, and he screamed loudly in disgust, “CONNOR! JESUS CHRIST!!! STOP BEIN’ SO CRUDE!!!”

“Well, whatever the hell it is that you’re into,” Connor said with a dramatic roll of his eyes, “I don’t want to know about it, and I certainly don’t want to hear about it! You just do your ‘thing’,” he snapped icily, “and I’ll do mine!”

Pointing at himself, Hank croaked uncomfortably, “Do you _really_ think I’m into that kinda shit, though?!”

“Who knows with you,” Connor answered in a waspish tone of voice that clearly presented irritation and annoyance with Hank, “I feel like I don’t even know you anymore, so anything’s fair game, isn’t it?”

Hank’s jaw fell open even wider, “You can’t fuckin’ be serious right n—”

“Anyway,” Connor interrupted while turning around to face the hallway, “you get yourself ready; I’m going to prepare your breakfast, and then I’ll tell you and show you everything I learned and discovered on that damn microchip.”

Embarrassment and awkwardness all cast aside, now, Hank stood up taller, his entire body at attention the moment Connor reminded him of the strange microchip. “I forgot about that,” he pointed out, “I was just so tired last night that I didn’t even bother with it…did you learn something new?”

Connor gave a small nod, “Of course I did,” he snapped again, “that’s what I was alluding to earlier!”

Holding up both hands as though being held under a gun, Hank backed away, “Okay, okay! No need to bite my damn head off, Connor!” he motioned over towards the bathroom down the hallway, “I’ll j-just clean myself up, and then we’ll talk during breakfast, okay?”

Connor merely stuck out his chin, jaw jutting forth as he huffed out, “Hmmf! Whatever!”

As he marched off towards the kitchen, Hank stuck his head out the doorway, and he watched Connor walk off. At first, his eyes were set on the android’s broad shoulders, and then, in less than a second, Hank’s eyes had wandered down over towards the swell of Connor’s firm ass. His eyes glazed over with lust, and just when he’d been admiring Connor’s behind for longer than he should have, he snapped himself out of it right when he felt himself growing hard between the legs.

Delivering a tiny slap to his own face, Hank groaned, “Stop being such an old, disgusting pervert!! He’s young enough to be Cole’s age if he lived to now, almost!! What the fuck am I doin’ starin’ at him like that for?!”

……….

“But he’s _not_ a human, and he’s _not_ my son…”

………

Hank huffed, “He also said he likes me, right?” he scratched his temple, “I mean…I could see where it goes…”

……..

Feeling suddenly both a wave of sexual lust overpowering him mixed in with confusion, Hank slapped himself one last time roughly across the face. “Fuckin’ perv, fuckin’ cute ass androids with their perfect eyes, their toned bodies, their fuckin’ curved asses, their long ass legs, their adorable, round, innocent chocolate brown eyes, their lovely little noses, their—AGHH!!!” He threw his head back and screamed when he realized he’d been standing in his hallway while fantasizing about Connor.

From the kitchen, something slammed along either the table or the counter, and then Connor snapped loudly, “Hank! Shut the hell up and go shower!” A second later, Sumo barked, as if encouraging Hank to get his ass moving as well.

It was two against one. He’d already lost this round before it even started.

“Whatever,” Hank grumbled, spinning around so quickly, that he bashed his chin into the wall instead of making a proper, clean entrance into his bathroom. When pain burned through his chin and jaw, he punched the wall angrily in retaliation, and then his first and knuckles really fucking hurt.

Yep. This morning really, _really_ sucked after all.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Gavin couldn’t believe that the large, long dark tunnels looped all the way around the sewers, and then led to a major plaza and intersection. In the plaza, he spotted the Walgreens, a Starbucks shop, a Pizzeria, a used clothing store, and a small gas station.

Great.

It was bright, hot, and humid out, but the weather was the least of his concerns for the moment. He was truly concerned about ‘Nines’. The tall android hadn’t uttered a single word to him as they’d walked on right until the very moment they saw the plaza. It was so unbecoming of Nines to do this…they’d connected so well before, and yet now, he was as silent as a wall?

Something was amiss.

Hanging onto that suspicion, Gavin hung back when Nines held out a hand and pointed at the CCTV cameras mounted on the walls around the shops and stores in the plaza. “I’ve hacked a few of them and disconnected their recording processes,” he randomly announced, “but we only have a limited time before someone notices, so hurry up and nab whatever the heck you want.”

“But I wanted to go to Starbucks…” Gavin argued, forgetting the oddities going on, and paying attention to the wonderfully delicious-smelling odors wafting from the shop directly into his nostrils.

Agent Nines shook his head, “We don’t have time for that; by my estimates, we only have eleven minutes to get the hair color, contact lenses, find a car, and get the hell out of here without drawing too much attention unto ourselves.”

“God,” Gavin spat while rolling his eyes, “you make it sound _so_ easy!!”

“I don’t have time for your sarcasm, you bratty, entitled piece of crap!” Agent Nines argued back, and walked closer to the front of the store. Grabbing a tiny shopping basket, he chucked it into Gavin’s chest, “Here, knock yourself out.” Without anything else said, he walked straight into the store, ignoring how he’d caught Gavin flipping him off in the reflection of the crystal-clear glass doors.

As soon as they’d walked into the store, Gavin both felt relieved and angry. First of all, the music in the store sucked. It was set to something stupid by a famous pop star who referred to themselves as ‘Bunny Feet’. The artist always sang in such an annoyingly high-pitched voice, even though they were a biological male. It all pissed Gavin off, and he had no taste for it. Secondly, the store was barren. It was perhaps due to how early in the morning it still technically was, but he’d been expecting to see at least a few people milling about…

And yet, he was the only person in the Walgreens along with ‘Nines’. Well, technically, there was another female android worker, and she’d been in the back of the store, arranging mail, letters, and cleaning and organizing shelves.

Shuddering when ‘Bunny Feet’ sang on a terrifyingly high note, Gavin searched around for any bits of food. Locating granola bars, a package of chocolate-chip cookies, and a few wrapped sandwiches, he supposed it’d do, even though it was very unhealthy. Not that he was good at gaining weight; he was always stressed, and stress made him drop weight like there was no tomorrow.

Grumbling, he collected a few of the sandwiches into his basket. The entire time, he tried ignoring the horrible singing, but he soon had to make his way to stand directly beneath a loudspeaker in the ceiling of the store. He was standing right before a shelf containing and holding canned goods. Grabbing some beans, soup, and ravioli, he couldn’t stomach it anymore the louder the music got.

Holding a hand over an ear, he shuddered, and then saw Nines approaching him from the side. “The hell’s your problem?” Nines spat, shaking his head lightly at Gavin.

“This music fucking sucks!” Gavin hissed, making sure to check whether the female android had been listening in on them or not. When he saw her to be working steadily, he turned back to Nines and pointed up at the ceiling, “Figures that just because an artist comes out and says they’re transgender, the entire world goes soft on them and gives them privilege to write and produce such shitty music.”

The android huffed out something, and then followed it up with a shrug, “Ignore it and grab the stuff you want.”

Grinding his teeth together irritably, Gavin moved down the row of shelves until he reached the end of the isle. “I am, fuck sakes!” Now, he was at the isle containing hair dye. There were so many colors and brands to choose from…great.

He’d never been so confused before, and he chewed nervously on his bottom lip while he stared back and forth at all the boxes. “Nines?” he whispered softly, “what color do you think I should get?”

The android was silent for a moment, but then he snickered, “Get hot pink.”

Gavin gasped, “You’re retarded! Everyone will think I’m gay!”

Pressing a hand down over the boy’s shoulder, Agent Nines leaned into his ear and whispered, “Gavin, you _are_ gay, remember?” before the younger male could say anything, Agent Nines flicked out his tongue, and he dipped it into Gavin’s ear. Mapping out the curves of the shell of his ear, he lapped at him for a moment, but then was brutally shoved away with a great amount of force he hadn’t been anticipating and prepared for. Nearly falling and crashing into the shelves and items stacked above, Agent Nines chuckled. He had to admit; he was beyond amused and entertained by Gavin’s whims. Had it been anyone else, he’d had already broken every bone in their body for handling him the way that Gavin had. But Gavin was indeed a special case, it seemed.

The youth was busy wiping and rubbing his wet ear clean and dry, and Agent Nines noticed the female android slowly finishing her tasks. It wouldn’t be too long before she did her duties of being friendly and attending to them…

“We don’t have much time left,” he announced, feeling and timing out that they had less than six minutes to head out, “pick a damn color already, else I’ll select one for you.”

That was indeed a terrifying prospect for Gavin. Since Nines lately had a strange, semi-sadistic streak about himself, Gavin didn’t want to be humiliated by the android picking a hair bad color. Peeking over at the top of the shelf, he selected a good enough shade of honey blonde hair color. Holding it up before Nines, he whispered, “I got it! I want this one!”

Rolling his eyes, the android walked away, “Fine, blondie.”

“Blondie???”

The tall android didn’t appear to be interested in arguing; he moved over towards the back of the store as he cried out to Gavin, “Check out the lenses, but do make it fast, alright?”

Craning his neck at him, Gavin spat back, “And where do you think you’re off to, then??”

Barely pointing close to where the female android was stationed, Agent Nines winked over at Gavin playfully, “I’m going to just leave you to it,” he answered, “I’ll distract this chick here, and you get ready, okay?”

“Distract?!” Gavin repeated angrily, “how?! What?? What do you mean?!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Agent Nines threw back over his shoulder, mire and darkness crossing over his eyes, “I don’t have any money, as it can be easily traced to us…”

Gavin’s jaw fell open, “Meaning???”

“Meaning you’re going to have to use a five finger discount,” Agent Nines answered sharply. “I’ll flirt with this babe, and you steal anything you can, got it?”

“ _Five finger discount_ —” With his jaw hanging obscenely and widely open, Gavin choked on his words, “FLIRTING?! FLIRTING??! YOU’RE GONNA MAKE ME STEAL WHILE YOU JUST STAND THERE AND FLIRT?!” It occurred to him after a moment that the android was long gone already, and he was left alone to commit such a horrible crime.

Bastard!!

Now, he knew for an absolute fact that Nines wasn’t himself. There was just no conceivable way on earth that Nines would get him to risk getting them _both_ caught by committing a serious offense.

Gavin was definitely on his guard, now, and he began watching Nines even more closely than before to sniff out exactly what was off about the android. He promised himself he would find out whatever it was sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agent Nines is a real trip, I swear🤣🤣  
> And poor Hank!! Conflicted about Connor, but he won't be for long, I swear!


	21. Venus Rising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin does his research, and develops his own theories and connections to what's going on with 'Nines'.  
> Hank and Connor get closer, and then are divided once again.

Ruffling his wet, messy hair with a clean towel, Hank felt grateful to be finally out of the steamy, hot shower. To his surprise, breakfast had already been served and laid out on the kitchen table when he padded into the room. Truth be told, he’d almost expected for Connor to just leave a dirty mug or plate there in retaliation for the morning’s events. His ex-wife had often done that to him, after all. He remembered when he’d woken up late one winter morning many years ago, and he’d failed to both take out the garbage, recycling, and also wake Cole up in time for school…his then-wife had been livid, and she’d rushed Cole to school at the last minute, taken out the trash by herself, and ignored Hank until she’d finished with the household duties. Afterwards, just when Hank had tried kissing up to her and making up for his mistake, in her own way, his wife at the time had dug and twisted the knife in deeper by leaving a stack of dirty plates for him when he politely and very gently asked ‘what’s for breakfast’.

Married life; it wasn’t for everyone.

Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting from Connor when he sat down at the table, but it’d likely been something negative as well, much to his own pessimistic tendencies and inclination. Blushing when he found he’d been proven wrong, he sat up and folded the towel neatly in a square shape. Pushing it to his side, he looked down at his freshly brewed cup of coffee while it cooled off, and he saw a plate of strawberry jam spread all over freshly toasted bread waiting for him. A few slices of neatly chopped up butter also sat close to his round plate, and Hank couldn’t be more than thrilled.

Pointing at the butter, he smiled at Connor appreciatively, “You didn’t forget…”

Connor merely rolled his eyes in a bored fashion, “Of course I didn’t; I know what you like by now.”

So Connor had been paying attention to what made him happy and what pleased him???

Marriage material right there.

……..

Wait…what the fuck was he thinking?!

In an attempt to cover up his own awkwardness, Hank began digging into his toast. His butter knife clattered and made a lot of noises as it hit the sides of his plate, and in no time, Connor felt irritated. He tried concealing it at first, but then, when Hank started noisily moving his feet about on the floors, the RK800 couldn’t bear it any longer.

Leaning against the edge of the table while seated across from Hank, Connor snapped, “Are you through with making all the noise in the world?”

Oh…there it was, that bitchy, nagging attitude.

Thinking back to how often his ex-wife had nagged at him, Hank sneered at Connor. “A thousand pardons, your Royal Highness,” he followed up the jab with a tiny chuckle.

Sumo entered the kitchen then, and as he’d been heading straight for his water dish and food bowl, Hank waved at him, “Sup, Sumo?”

Upon hearing his name, the dog froze for a second, turned his head towards Hank, and then growled a low, warning growl.

Hank was taken aback, “The fuck is _your_ problem?!”

Sumo growled again, and then barked loudly before sealing the distance between himself and his food waiting for him.

Pointing a finger at his back, Hank groused, “That’s it! No more food for you!!”

“Your threats won’t work on anyone, you know,” Connor pointed out while studying his fingernails, and then brushing some dirt off the kitchen table. Hank fumed, but didn’t say anything else. He munched on his toast, glaring away at Sumo while the large canine munched on his food without a single care in the world.

Connor suddenly stopped, and he pointed at the crust, “I toasted it extra, just as you like it.”

When he pointed it out, Hank stared at the dark brown crust, and he smiled. “Oh…yeah…thanks Connor…” his spirits were slightly uplifted, and his teeth sank into the thick crust. Crunchy! Just as he always preferred it to be.

Sitting back, Connor announced, “I also took the liberty of doing your laundry right before you got up,” he then held out a hand before Hank could say anything, “no need to bother; it’s already folded and just waiting to be put away. Afterwards,” he continued on hurriedly, “I went through all the information one last time, made notes, and have sorted out the evidence and mapped out all the places we need to go! You just need to watch it for yourself, and I’ll be ready whenever you are.”

When he had finished, he sat back with a leg crossed over the other, and Hank simply gaped at him with a wide-open jaw. Connor suddenly looked so…radiant and magnificent!!! He sat as if he were some kind of King, and with all the confidence in the land, to boot. It was amazing! It was surreal, and Hank loved it!

Still gazing at Connor with a goofy expression plastered onto his face, Hank made to grab his cup of coffee, and as he held it up to his lips for a tiny sip, he noticed it hadn’t cooled off enough. It was too late; the liquid had already burned the tip of his tongue, and he winced in pain as he coughed and sputtered.

As Connor watched some of the dark liquid splashing and pouring out from Hank’s lips, he sighed in disdain. “Do you have a hole in your mouth?” he asked snobbishly, nodding over at the mess Hank made on himself.

Although he’d been insulted, Hank was far too interested in the things Connor had done for him this morning to be angry or cross with the RK800.

Connor had really outdone himself this time, and Hank felt his heart fluttering in his chest while butterflies flew around in his stomach. He suddenly felt so young again…Connor made him feel so young!!!

Without thinking, he blurted out his classic pick-up line used before on many women, “Wanna get together sometime, Connor?”

The words his android work partner had been speaking suddenly got cut off. Connor looked at Hank with a blank facial expression, and then slowly, his LED light switched to yellow. His eyes appeared darker, and he frowned. “Are you making fun of me, Lieutenant?”

Oh boy. There they were with the ‘Lieutenant’ shit again. Hank understood that whenever Connor referred to him with the title of ‘Lieutenant’, it usually meant the android was angry with him. He didn’t even need to confirm it for his own eyes; Connor began drumming his fingers over the surface of the kitchen table while shaking his head from side to side angrily. “That’s not funny, Lieutenant!”

Hank sighed, “I wasn’t—”

“ANYWAY!” Connor screamed out, causing both Hank and Sumo to leap up in shock, “We _are_ together right here, right now, Hank! No need to ask such a dumb question and mock me!!”

Nearly face palming, Hank wanted to say, “I actually meant in another way, genius”, but he ate his words when he glanced up at Connor. The android tapped his plate impatiently, “Eat up, Lieutenant!” he grumbled, standing up afterwards and then marching off into the living room, “I’ve got a lot to fill you in on…”

Staring at his toast in defeat, Hank whispered, “Yes dear.”

Sometimes, it really wasn’t worth it to argue.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

“Hey there…” Agent Nines strolled right up to the back counter, leaning against it while giving the female android working in the store a tiny, flirtatious grin. It caught her attention almost immediately, and she glanced up and beamed brightly at him. She had her best ‘client care’ face on, and Agent Nines nearly felt sick from looking at it. He reminded himself that he had to put up with it, however, and he flashed her a clean, white toothy smile.

“Good morning, sir!” she chirped merrily at him, “what can I do for you today?”

He hummed, pretending he was thinking it all over. “Well, you see,” he motioned behind her at the shelves, “I was wondering about a parcel I’m supposed to receive…”

While he’d been yapping with the female android, Gavin held the blonde hair color package in his hands, and he’d been walking towards the contact lenses steadily, when something caught his eye.

A stack of magazines had been placed before him, suddenly, and they were quite usual and regular for a store such as Walgreens. Most were about the latest ‘insider’s scoop’ on celebrity marriages, infidelity, break ups, and pregnancies, while others were centered on sports, dieting, fashion, sexual health, and interior decorating. None of them caught his eye, obviously, save for one of the magazines…

It was on Psychology in the world today, and a special, select topic on ‘irregular behavior patterns’. The magazine screamed at him, and Gavin felt immediately drawn to it. Checking to see if Nines was still occupied with the female android, he slowly grabbed the magazine and flipped it open to the first page.

It’d been just the thing for him to dive into, as he’d taken only an introductory level course in Psychology 101 at his University, but he’d never found anything beyond it interesting…until now.

His eyes skimmed and glossed over the page, and he quickly read onto page two, where the major theories stood out.

_Freud’s personality theory (1923) saw the psyche structured into three parts; the id, ego and superego, all developing at different stages in our lives. These are systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical._

_According to Freud’s model of the psyche, the id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories, the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego._

_Although each part of the personality comprises unique features, they interact to form a whole, and each part makes a relative contribution to an individual’s behavior._

Loud, feminine laughter suddenly rang in his ears, and he poked his head up from the magazine. Worried, he checked down the isle, but then saw Nines standing in the same spot as before, gently reaching out for the female android’s delicate, small hand. He clasped it, and she giggled again flirtatiously while batting her eyelashes invitingly at him.

Nasty.

Turning back to his reading, he hurried on, eyeballs moving left to right swiftly while his sponge-like brain soaked up all the information at a high speed.

_What is the id? The id engages in primary process thinking, which is primitive, illogical, irrational, and fantasy oriented. This form of process thinking has no comprehension of objective reality, and is selfish and wishful in nature._

_The id is the primitive and instinctive component of personality. It consists of all the inherited (i.e., biological) components of personality present at birth, including the sex (life) instinct – Eros (which contains the libido), and the aggressive (death) instinct._

Staring up for a moment, Gavin frowned and whispered under his breath, “It sounds like something…or someone I know lately…”

Perhaps it could explain a lot, and as he took a surreptitious glance towards Nines, he saw the android whispering to the female one. His behavior had truly been off as of late, but did he have some kind of problem with his ego or id?? What about multiple personality disorders??? He knew these were all mental health issues present in humans, but what about androids???

Flipping to the back of the magazine, he located the index. Soon, he saw the words ‘Id, Ego, and Superego in androids’.

PERFECT!!!

It was apparently on page 22, and Gavin flipped to it, nearly dropping the magazine a few times in the process. Eventually, he found the appropriate page, and he began reading.

_The id is the impulsive (and unconscious) part of our psyche which responds directly and immediately to the instincts. The personality of the newborn child is all id and only later does it develop an ego and super-ego. As such, this is the most noticeable in criminals and deviant androids._

_Deviancy is still not entirely understood to this day, but according to Mr. Elijah Kamski, the ‘id’, ‘ego’ and ‘superego’ are all present within an android and can show themselves at any given time. The ‘id’ is perhaps responsible and the direct, root cause for deviancy in the first place, as it relies on baser instincts often studied and observed in humans._

_The id remains infantile in its function throughout a person’s life and does not change with time or experience, as it is not in touch with the external world. The id is not affected by reality, logic or the everyday world, as it operates within the unconscious part of the mind._

_The id operates on the pleasure principle (Freud, 1920) which is the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences. When the id achieves its demands, we experience pleasure, when it is denied, we experience ‘displeasure’ or tension. As such, much appears to be the same in studied and observed patterns from a deviant android group for the purpose of our study and research._

Why did all this suddenly make so much sense?!? It was said that it was possible to happen in an android, and Nines clearly had to be deviant…this was definitely an answer to all the strangeness going on, wasn’t it???

Sure, Nines had been overly sexual, tense, and generally unpleasant lately, but was it because he was being denied something he wanted??? What did he want to achieve that he couldn’t?

Choosing to read on, Gavin hoped he would find the answer somewhere in the article.

_The ego engages in secondary process thinking, which is rational, realistic, and orientated towards problem-solving. If a plan of action does not work, then it is thought through again until a solution is found. This is known as reality testing and enables the person to control their impulses and demonstrate self-control, via mastery of the ego. Androids have the same function present, especially considering the fact that they’re skilled at deductive reasoning._

_An important feature of clinical and social work is to enhance ego functioning and help the client test reality through assisting the client to think through their options._

_What is the superego?_

_The superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one’s parents and others. It develops around the age of 3–5 during the phallic stage of psychosexual development._

_The superego’s function is to control the id’s impulses, especially those which society forbids, such as sex and aggression. It also has the function of persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection._

Finally, they were getting some place. Mentions of sex and aggression seemed to line up with Nines’ behavior, and it would’ve been foolish for Gavin to deny noticing the obvious spike and increase in sexuality displayed by the android as of late. But what was the point of all that drive?? To what end was he willing to go to?

_The superego consists of two systems: The conscience and the ideal self. The conscience can punish the ego through causing feelings of guilt. For example, if the ego gives in to the id’s demands, the superego may make the person feel bad through guilt. The ideal self (or ego-ideal) is an imaginary picture of how you ought to be, and represents career aspirations, how to treat other people, and how to behave as a member of society._

_Behavior which falls short of the ideal self may be punished by the superego through guilt. The super-ego can also reward us through the ideal self when we behave ‘properly’ by making us feel proud._

_If a person’s ideal self is too high a standard, then whatever the person does will represent failure. The ideal self and conscience are largely determined in childhood from parental values and how you were brought up. In the case of androids, previous owners of deviant models have been known to also shape and influence these androids’ behaviors._

How he was brought up?? But hadn’t Amanda raised him?? He’d known and met Amanda himself, and he thought she was nothing but an angel!! Surely this had nothing to do with her! Amanda was good! Amanda was pure! Amanda was probably the best thing in Nines’ life!

Squinting hard at the page he was trying to decipher, Gavin suddenly heard Nines loudly and purposefully calling out, “Sure, I could go for a walk in about FOUR more minutes!”

Gavin closed the magazine and set it down, though with some reluctance.

They were running out of time.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Hank pet the sofa seat next to himself while winking at Connor. The android refused to budge from his spot on the other side of the living room. Hank was growing a tad impatient, but he knew for a fact that if he wanted a positive result from this, patience was his best friend.

“Come!” he snickered, “sitty-sitty, next to me, Connie…”

The android threw him a dirty look, “You know you’re being really childish, right Hank?”

“Mhmm,” Hank hummed, “but it’s also for the sake of convenience, Connor; you gotta sit by me and explain what you’ve learned.”

Evidently, that’d been the wrong thing to utter. Connor’s glares turned murderous, and Hank cowered from them. Why did he always have to wind up saying something wrong and offensive?!? Why couldn’t a statement and a sentence be spoken without a double meaning having to be attached to it these days!! Damn!! Even androids were easily triggered, weren’t they?!

“I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear you admitting that you’re merely keeping me around to use me,” Connor mumbled in a gravelly tone, and he sat down while holding the chip up over the palm of his hand. He stared intently at it for almost three whole minutes. It was so damn awkward for Hank. They were both just seated there, staring blankly at the chip.

Eventually, Hank felt weirded out enough, and he coughed, “Umm, Connor? While we’re still kinda young, please?”

Suddenly, Connor’s head snapped up, and his eyes turned completely black. Like large, round buttons, they remained that way for a moment, and then, like magic, the microchip rose above his palm. Floating into the air, it remained there, levitating for a brief second before Connor’s jaw fell. In a robotic and monotonous tone of voice, he barked out, “Information. Data. Synthesis. Download. 100%. Ready. Ready.”

Hank had never seen something like this before, and he could only gape in awe when the microchip let out a tiny, dully ‘beep’, and then a bright yellow beam flashed before Hank’s eyes. The light rose upwards, and it connected and shot straight into Connor’s LED light, which was also a yellow color.

As the light shined brighter and brighter, Hank had to look away. Just when he’d been about to summon up the courage to tell Connor to stop it because his eyes really ached and burned, the chip spun and danced faster and faster in the air above Connor’s outstretched palm. It looked like a tiny disco light bouncing off the walls and ceiling, and Hank shielded himself from the intense rays while Connor’s eyes were fixated on the object.

Suddenly, when it could spin no more, a tiny explosion went off, but in the form of dust and light rays. Hank nearly screamed, but he silenced himself when a holographic image burst forth from the chip and was still connected to Connor’s LED light. Finally, the images began ‘fast-forwarding’ themselves, stopped, and then rewound themselves. Everything moved backwards, and suddenly, it all came to an abrupt halt right before an old, large mansion Hank and Connor had never seen before.

Hank sat up, and just as he’d been preparing to ask what the hell was going on, the voice of the man who’d been stabbed spoke out to them, almost as if they were watching a movie with a voice-over.

 _“In the beginning, the Agency was always so secretive about its projects and missions,”_ as he spoke on, the mansion doors opened, and the large sign hanging above the gates flashed _. “Experiments of a very gruesome nature were first conducted on humans, but when they all failed, the Agency moved on to androids_ …” along with his words and explanation, the interior of the mansion flashed, next, and a dozen androids stood in identical rows and lines.

As Hank and Connor looked through the group of androids, one of them stood out in particular…

Frowning, Hank pointed a hand into the air at the android, “I know that fucker!!!”

Right at the front of the line of other dull-looking androids happened to be the same imposter who’d attacked him not even half a week ago. He stood there, tall and prideful as ever, and Hank immediately growled deeply in his throat, “That’s the guy who attacked you, Connor! That’s him!!!”

While the clips played on, the dead man’s voice continued narrating.

 _“It was easier controlling the androids for the longest time, and Agent Nines was our most prized asset.”_ As he said this, the images zoomed in on the stoic android’s face. _“W_ _e needed an incredibly reliable, perfect, and incorruptible solider, and that was Agent Nines…until the androids started going deviant.”_ Images flashed brightly, and suddenly, Hank saw hundreds of innocent civilians running away from their androids. But these seemed to be the same ‘soldier’ androids, and they were burning, attacking, beating up, violating, and spilling the blood of humans…

 _“We realized we were unable to control all the androids, and our initial plan was to set Agent Nines on them. We trusted him,_ the panicked voice came out in a croak, _we trusted him and relied on him, but then…something happened to Agent Nines…_ _”_

The interior of the same mansion flashed, and an African American woman was seen talking into Agent Nines’ ear. He stood and nodded curtly, and then he was walking down a fiery hallway…was the entire place burning and up in flames?? Hank leaned in to study the surroundings, but he determined relatively quickly that it wasn’t the same place. This new place seemed to be someone’s home, and a much smaller abode than the large mansion.

The deceased narrator was now beginning to sob. _“So_ _mething was always wrong with Agent Nines, but when I reported this back to the Agency, they threatened to kill me!!”_ Pausing, he wept, and then, the holographic images shifted back to Agent Nines withdrawing a long, bloodied katana. He buried it directly into both an android and then a human, the blood splatter and thirium spray bursting forth in vivid colors.

 _“One day, he just started killing everyone and everything in sight, and he couldn’t stop! He refused to stop!!!”_ The fires burned and roared, people screamed, and a child wailed…

Suddenly, the images changed to the injured and now deceased driver staring at the screen. Peering at both Hank and Connor with dewy eyes, he wiped them hurriedly, staring up ahead at something off-camera. _“_ _If you’re watching this, it likely means I’m dead,”_ he accurately stated, and Hank clenched a fist while he listened and watched on. _“I_ _worked for the Agency, yes! I made plenty of mistakes, yes! But I never supported what Agent Nines did that night when he mercilessly killed targets he wasn’t ordered to and supposed to kill!!”_

“I knew he was a fuckin’ son of a bitch,” Hank almost roared while fighting hard to contain himself, “I fuckin’ just knew it!!”

The dead man trembled, and he clasped his hands together as if he were praying for his life. _“P_ _lease, find Amanda and talk to her! She’s the only one who can stop Agent Nines! Please, stop him before he kills anyone else!! ”_ As he said this, the mansion appeared once again, and then spun around to a path near a large forest. Hank and Connor saw a dark car abandoned on the side of the road before leading down the edge of the huge forest. _“H_ _e has a kid with him,”_ the weeping man carried on, _“_ _I think he’s in danger, and you need to save him! They left out of this dark vehicle, and they were in a cabin! I was working with another one of the members who are resisting the Agency, but I think Agent Nines killed him; I was unable to get in touch with him!!!”_

A brief image of the man showed up, and he was bald, had a hooked, long nose, pointy teeth, and was wearing dark clothing. _“_ _I don’t expect you to understand what happened here,”_ came the longest sob from the man explaining, _“_ _after all, the Agency won’t leave a trace, but know that when you take up this task, it’ll be for justice! For the child and the innocent life that was taken away cruelly on that horrible night!!”_

Not wanting to hear more, Hank roared. He was reminded of losing Cole, and anger surged and burned through him while he leapt to his feet. “I’LL FUCKING KILL THE BASTARD MYSELF!” he spat, saliva flying in all directions, “I WANT HIM DEAD SINCE HE KILLS INNOCENT CHILDREN! THAT FUCKER!!”

 _“Find the car; find the evidence, talk to Amanda about her ‘Moon Children!’ ”_ There was a bright flash suddenly, and then the image of a moon crescent tattooed on someone’s arm took up the entire view. Hank stood up even taller as he screamed out, “THAT WAS ON THE ZLATKO DOUBLE CORPSE AND THE MAN IN THE SECURITY FOOTAGE, CONNOR!!” Gripping the android’s hand, then, he yanked Connor to his feet just as the dead man gave out the address, finally.

_“Go west of Ainsville and loop behind the second entrance to the forest. There, you will find the car, and everything else you need to know about Amanda and the Moon Children. If you’ve seen this through to the end, the exact coordinates should be available to you!”_

And that was where they were headed, but before they could exit the house, Connor made sure to turn back and pick up the microchip. Pocketing it once more, he followed closely on Hank’s heels.

 

* * *

 

Somewhere in the distant future when Gavin's a little older: 

Agent Nines/Asura: Pssst, Detective!!! 

This isn't my work. All credit and praise goes to [LitoPerezito](https://www.deviantart.com/litoperezito) for his beautiful work.


	22. Drag the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank Pantera for helping me choose the chapter name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Moses, shot out another chapter real quick while I could because I can.

Gavin was not really confused. He had been before, but now, he was certain he wasn’t. Whatever ‘Nines’ was dealing with, according to what he’d read in the psychology magazine, it had to be something due to trauma, or a strange incident of a baser instinct taking over.

But why?? What had motivated Nines to change and alter his behavior?

Was it Gavin himself?

Unfortunately, the younger male didn’t have much time to worry; already, the female android was growing a bit restless while Nines tried keeping the conversation with her. It was soon turning out to be a struggle of sorts, with Nines desperately clinging onto the female android’s hand, while she was attempting to wriggle free.

LED light yellow, she winced, “Sir, you’re making me feel rather uncomfortable…”

This made Nines toss his head back, and he laughed, “Women! They’re all the same; constantly saying ‘no’ when they really mean ‘yes’….”

“I MEAN IT!” she suddenly screamed, “LET GO OF ME!”

Enough was enough.

Gavin threw down the magazine, and he raced towards the counter in a jiffy. He couldn’t stand it when women were being abused or forced into things, especially, and he shoved Nines as hard as he could aside. “What’s wrong with you?!?”

Before he could say anything else, however, Nines wrapped an arm around his shoulder, slanting Gavin’s body against his own. “Well, well,” he then nodded at Gavin, “this is my cousin,” he jokingly told the female android, “he’s an asshole at times, but where would I be without him…”

Looking like she really didn’t care, the female android pointed at the exit of the store, “If you guys aren’t buying anything, then you should please leave!”

Nines’ jaw fell, “Hey! No need for that!” motioning over at Gavin’s items, he whined childishly, “can’t you see my cousin wants to purchase these??”

“Fine then,” she hurriedly moved towards the cashier, and she waved a hand at Gavin, “I’ll scan those, and then you can pay for them and leave.”

Not wanting to make things more difficult or awkward, Gavin held the box of hair dye up, along with the food items. Remembering that Nines claimed he had no money along with him, Gavin suspected that statement had either been a joke, or a lie of sorts. After all, it wouldn’t be that terribly out of line and character for Nines to be lying; he had taken up a strange habit of ‘trolling’ Gavin lately, after all.

He watched in silence, kicking Nines away as the female android scanned all his items. Through all the tiny ‘beeps’, Gavin felt Nines leaning against him once more, and he growled to keep the android away from himself in a low warning.

Of course, it went disregarded.

When she was finished, the female android peered at Gavin directly, and she said, “Your total amount today comes to $44.72 plus tax!”

Next to him, Nines let out a low whistle, while Gavin’s jaw fell open again. “B-but…why is it so expensive?!” He hadn’t even grabbed anything that crazy! Just food and hair color! What was the big deal!?

Irritably, the female android tapped a green-painted fingernail on the hair color package. “This is almost $20.99, young man,” she announced, pointing to the price tag Gavin somehow missed, “and you have a lot of canned goods, candy, health bars, cookies, sandwiches and a soft drink!”

Gavin shook his head wildly, hair shaking about, “But I don’t have that kind of money!”

She only shrugged, “Too bad; either pay for the items, or leave them here with me.”

He felt reduced to his childhood years, especially when his mother didn’t allow him to buy something, or just refused to get him exactly what he wanted. Rather than kicking his feet in a petulant display right now, however, he sadly pushed the items over to the side. Suddenly, something hit him…

A soft drink?

Why had she said he’d picked up a soft drink? When had he done that?

Was he hearing things??

Checking it out for himself, he saw the orange soda pop sitting right beside his box of hair dye.

With eyes wide and his jaw slack, Gavin whispered, “I didn’t pick that up…”

LED light red, she glared at him while jabbing a finger into his chest, “Don’t you play your silly games with me, you little—” all of a sudden, as she’d been in the middle of scolding the younger man, Agent Nines leapt and slid over the counter, and in the blink of an eye, he gripped her neck, slammed a hand down on the back of her head, and jammed his hand and fingers right into her body…

Her eyes blew open widely, and for half a second, she tried fighting back, but then he lowered a hand down to her stomach, and he cut her open with a knife Gavin hadn’t seen him even wielding. It sliced through her clothes, human skin, and then, right before the younger man’s very eyes, the android shoved the tip of the blade into her stomach, exposing her wires and bio-components. They all spilled forth onto the ground and over her own feet like innards and intestines obscenely. It was a horrific sight in its own way, and Gavin screamed loudly as he leapt away.

The wires and bolts exploded and zapped, and her LED light blinked on and off. Her human eyeballs rolled back into her head, and she was shaking and then turning rigid, almost like a person suffering through an epileptic seizure of some sort. It hurt Gavin to even watch it, and he screamed, “STOP IT!” while hiding away at the bottom of the counter. Wishing he were any other place but here, he drowned out the terrifying sounds while snapping his eyes shut tightly.

When would it be over?!

Whimpering and whining down on the floor while rocking back and forth on his behind, he missed Agent Nines’ footsteps and then shoes standing before himself. One of his feet reached out and tapped Gavin’s shoes. “Hey,” he growled, “we gotta go.”

Rocking steadily, Gavin only repeatedly whispered, “You killed her, you killed her, you killed her…”

Bending on his knees, Agent Nines snorted, “It was either let her ring up the police or make a quick break. Which would you have picked?”

Gavin sniffled, “You fucking psycho!”

“Sure, judge me,” Agent Nines bit back quickly, “but guess what?” flashing out car keys stained in blue thirium, he grinned like a cat that had caught a canary, “we got ourselves a new ride!!” Dangling the keys above Gavin’s head as he rose to his feet, he waved, “Come on.”

While trembling, Gavin got up, refusing to make eye contact with Nines. “I c-can’t believe you!” Gavin roared at him, making his way past him, but then Nines stuck out a hand before him and gestured at the counter.

“Don’t forget your items.”

Without looking at the ‘dead’ android crumpled up on the floor, Gavin snatched his items into his arms, and he followed Nines. Albeit, completely reluctantly and hesitantly. But what other choice did he really have?

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

Hank slowed his vehicle down once he saw the ‘End of the Road’ sign, and right before it, a black vehicle sat parked. Some leaves had fallen and coated the windshield, perhaps meaning that the car had indeed been left abandoned here for some time.

“I hope we’re not too fuckin’ late,” he whispered more to himself than to Connor sitting next to himself, but the android gave a slight nod of his head.

Both of them had been terrified due to the fact that the situation now involved another individual; a young man. This was now of greater importance.

Leaning close to Hank while peering ahead, Connor suggested, “Don’t you think we should tell Captain Fowler about all this now, Hank?”

With a defiant head shake, Hank growled, “I’d rather be shot, Connor; there’s nothing worse than involving that son of a bitch in all this.”

“But why? You heard what the dead man said!” Connor vehemently cried out in worry, “a young man has been taken hostage by this android imposter!!”

Pointing a thick finger in his face, Hank grumbled, “First of all, Connor, we don’t know whether everything that man stated was the truth,” he turned to open the car door slightly, “and secondly, the kid in all this _could_ possibly be an accomplice! Didn’t you ever consider that?”

Frowning deeply, Connor sighed, “I suppose the possibilities are endless, here, but I think we should really proceed with caution and consider new leads in this case as having a second side to them…” staring down at his feet, he added, “nothing seems to be clear in this case, and you know I am right…remember the body double?”

Setting a foot down on the pavement outside the car, Hank rolled his eyes. “Well, what do you want from me, Connor? A silver medal? Hmm?” he sighed gruffly, “a party or a celebration because you were right? Jesus! What’s up with you today?”

Glaring resolutely at his work partner, Connor opened his door, and he snapped, “Nothing is ‘wrong’ with me, Hank! I was just trying to ‘think outside the box’!”

Hank exited the car completely, and he straightened out his new jacket before muttering under a hot breath, “Well, don’t think too hard and don’t hurt yourself, babe.” He knew he was kind of pushing it too far with that joke, but as the saying went: it was too late to cry over spilled milk.

“Hmmf!” Connor slammed his car door shut once he too got out, and he walked close towards the black car without another word. Hank rolled his eyes at him, but didn’t comment beyond that. Both men approached the abandoned vehicle calmly, and Hank cupped his hands around his eyes as he bent forward and peered in through the driver’s window.

“Can’t see shit,” he announced, and Connor stood behind him for a second before he chose to head towards the trunk. Midway there, he paused, tilted his head curiously, and then frowned.

“I think I hear something, Hank…”

Still squinting inside the car, Hank murmured, “Yeah, that’s the sound of your own ego, Connor.”

“Hank! I’m serious!” Connor screamed out, moving around the car and practically bending down to press his ear against the doors and windows. As he did this, Hank stared at him, and then shook his head back and forth in exhaustion.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Connor, what’re you doing?”

“Shhh!” Connor snapped, “I swear I heard something!”

Standing back, Hank pet his lower belly while chuckling, “Yeah, it’d be my stomach demanding food…”

Ignoring him, his android work partner bent down lower and lower, getting closer and closer to the ground. Hank made his way towards the opposite side of the vehicle, and when he saw how Connor’s body was practically kissing the pavement, he snickered sarcastically. “Playin’ ‘how low can you go’, Connor?”

“SHH!” Connor once again snapped, and he pointed beneath the car, “It’s coming from here…”

“I think you’re going insane, Connor…”

Slamming a hand down on the ground then, Connor stuck his head as far and as much as he could beneath the car, studying whatever was making the strange noise only he himself seemed to hear. “You have to believe me, Hank!!”

Staring at the trees and hills around them and down the hill, Hank sighed, “Connor, just—” he froze when he heard it then…it was indeed a strange sound, and it was a steady ‘beep’, ‘beep’, ‘beep’.

Was he going crazy, too?

Frowning in confusion, he bent down on the soles of his feet and rested his body weight on them while Connor sniffed and searched around underneath the car. “Shit,” Hank gasped, “I hear it too, now…”

Peering beneath the car, Connor scanned everything he could in his sights, and he soon let out a strained, surprised, and conflicted cry. Hank had never heard him make a sound like this, as it seemed to be very… ‘human’…he felt concerned and fearful upon hearing it, and he tossed aside his doubts. It was better to be sure and safe, after all.

Whispering with a shaky breath, he asked, “Connor, do you know what it is??” He hoped Connor wouldn’t tell him what he thought he likely would. Deep in his gut, he had a sneaking suspicion and hunch of what the source of the sound was, but he didn’t want it trapezing into the world of reality…no…

“Connor?”

After a long time spent in painful, tumultuous silence, Connor suddenly gasped, and he reared backwards, desperately trying to get away from the car.

“HAAAANK! IT’S AN EXPLOSIVE!!!!”

Right then and there, Hank knew he would’ve traded his mind and soul and last breath taken on this planet not to be able to hear those words spoken.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Dropping his purchased items on the pavement with a loud clatter, Gavin whimpered when Nines turned around and offered him a cold glare. It sent shivers up the younger man’s spine, and he hissed out, “Wha-what d-do you want from me?”

Gesturing towards a Toyota Mazda in a pure red shade, ‘Nines’ hissed thinly, “Well, getting in the damn car would be great right now, Gavin.”

But how could he—

“You want me to g-get in there with you, run away from a c-crime, and just be okay with it?” Gavin let out a strained half-cry-half-laugh, “you’re unbelievable!”

‘Nines’ scoffed, “Are you finished with your emotional episode, now?” tapping a foot against the car, he snapped, “because I’d like to leave here while I still can, and preferably in the last minute before the CCTV cameras turn on again.”

As he’d been opening the car door, Gavin screamed and yanked back on his elbow. “NO!!” he screamed out, and it echoed all throughout the vast parking lot. Nines threw him an angry glare, but Gavin seemed to be ignoring it. “Are you going to keep doing this?!” he asked in a half-accusation, “are you going to keep on killing people and androids and just shrugging it off like it’s nothing?!”

While his loud voice was echoing and ringing around the parking lot, Agent Nines felt himself growing more and more irritated faster and faster. How was it that this mere human kid was consistently finding new ways of getting under his skin??? Wasn’t he supposed to be patient, cold, collected, and unaffected by whatever humans said and did?! What was wrong with him where he was giving this power back to Gavin?? He hated being ‘controlled’ and affected by outside forces, and he began resenting Gavin.

He gestured once again inside the vehicle, “Get in.” He didn’t want to talk or argue…to do that would mean opening up…

NO.

Gavin shook his head back and forth wildly again, “You’re not yourself, Nines!! I know you!!”

“How dare you—”

“NINES!”

“I don’t have time for this,” Agent Nines snapped, and in one deft swoop, he gripped Gavin by the wrist, and he picked up his items. As the boy gasped and cried out demanding to be released, Agent Nines threw his items inside the back of the car, and a moment later, he threw Gavin into the backseat as well. Slamming the door shut behind the young man, he was making his way over towards the driver’s side, when there was a loud, massive, powerful BOOOOOOOOOM!

The abrupt sound shook the pavement and grounds, and it definitely caught Agent Nines’ and Gavin’s attention. The young male was now pressing himself against the door and window in the backseat, staring out of the car where he supposed the sound had originated from. In a few seconds after the blast, thick, black smoke rose up a few feet above the hills and trees far away in the distance just west of the large plaza…

Birds flew upwards into the sky, cawing loudly, as though communicating the horrible news for the world to hear. Everything went silent afterwards, but Agent Nines grinned a malicious, evil grin and sat down inside the car. Closing the door softly after his entry, he placed the keys in the ignition, turned it on, and sat back. Adjusting the rear-view mirror, he tossed a most playful, delightful grin over at Gavin.

While the adolescent drew up a hand over his mouth to conceal a cry before it escaped from him, Agent Nines flicked his tongue over his teeth, running it back and forth along his lower jaw, and then upper jaw. Checking himself out in the mirror, next, he smirked as he whispered, “Oh yes, it appears as if someone was poking around where they had no business poking around in the first place…” adjusting himself more comfortably in the seat, he slowly began driving out of the parking lot.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Hank groaned in a deep, gravelly tone. His throat burned, his entire body was so damn sore, and his eyes felt drier than the desert.

What the fuck had happened???

When he sat up from wherever the hell he’d been currently lying in, he smelled nothing except burning fuel, smoke, ash, and the earth. It made him weary, and he coughed as he tried moving away from the horrible odor. The smoke soon clogged his nose and vision, making it damn impossible to see even his nose on his own face.

Clearing his throat and slowly succumbing to violent coughing, he desperately cried out for Connor. Hank remembered just what had happened. His android friend had indeed been right all along; something suspicious had been making that noise from the car, and it’d turned out to be a nasty explosive.

His mind refused to accept it initially, and it’d taken him at least three seconds before he heard Connor yelling out to him in a warning cry, “GET DOWN!!”

Still, he was unable to will his body to move, but at the last second before the blast went off, Connor threw himself on top of Hank. The RK800 had effectively shielded Hank from the brutal and deadly blast, and they’d rolled down to the bottom of the hill. Tumbling and sliding through the mud, sticks, leaves, rocks, and various vegetation scattered about, Hank soon went unconscious for nearly fifteen minutes.

The commotion and damage caused to the vehicle had been so brutal and severe, that there was nothing left in its wake to be taken in for evidence or further and deeper analysis. Fires had grown above, carrying the weight of the deadly fumes and blinding gases with them. Hank had been able to escape from it all, in the end, but what had happened to Connor?!

Fear flooded and fueled him, now, and as Hank stood up on weak feet and knees, he cried out repeatedly for his friend. “CONNOR!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!?”

Nothing was his answer for some time, and Hank pushed his longer hair out of his eyes and forehead. “CONNOR!!!!” A soft, babbling brook stood behind him as he began running through the thick trees and leaves, and he knew he’d been running for a while. He could hardly see the top of the hill from his current vantage point, though he still smelled the heavy smoke.

Shit!!!

“CONNOR!!!!”

Just when he’d wanted to break down and cry out in raw anger, he tripped over a stupid branch that had been hiding away beneath two large rocks. Like a big, clumsy oaf, he stumbled, barely able to catch and balance his own weight. “SHIIIIIIIT!”

Went he went sailing and crashing down into tall blades of thick grass, Hank’s arms shot out, desperately trying to find purchase in something. His fingers soon landed on something solid and firm…

“Wha—”

“Hank!!!”

Oh, thank god!!!

He’d accidentally found Connor as he crashed flat on his chest, his arm landing on the android’s shoulders along the way. Excited and relieved that his friend had made it, Hank crawled on his knees, and he wrapped his arms around Connor. “YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH!” he practically wept, “I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE SAFE!!!”

Before they both went tumbling on the hard ground, Connor held up a hand, and he gently pushed Hank off himself. “Hank,” he hissed, “I’m fine, don’t worry!”

Nuzzling his forehead into the android’s long neck, Hank pressed out, “You saved me…”

“Hank!” Connor gasped out, “please!!! I found something important!!”

“You saved me, you beautiful bas—huh?!” as he’d been in the midst of trying to appreciate Connor and also check him for injuries or harm, he’d only then realized what Connor had announced. Still, he hurriedly looked Connor over, and he was pleasantly relieved to see that only Connor’s clothes were slightly torn, dirtied, and singed in some areas. A few leaves and blades of grass stuck in Connor’s hair, and Hank took them all out while sitting back before the android.

Holding up a crumpled-up piece of paper in a hand, Connor said, “It’s a note, Hank!”

“Of what?” came the slow response after a moment, though Hank never took his eyes off Connor.

Reading it quickly, Connor stated gently, “I think it belonged to the young kid!!”

Now, Hank was curious enough to tear his eyes away from Connor, and down to the paper. Practically tearing it out of Connor’s hands a lot more ferociously than he’d meant to, Hank tugged it forward so he could get a good look at it himself.

“Don’t rip it!” Connor warned, and Hank hushed him softly as he finally read through it.

Although suffering from water marks and a lot of dirt rubbed over the page, for the most part, it was surprisingly legible.

**Gavin honey, just letting you know that you left your economics textbook in our home last time you came over for a visit!! Hope you won’t forget it this time!! You’re lucky your dad has made it a habit to go through your room often!**

**Don’t forget it again, silly!!!**

**Let us know how your exams go, and when you think you can come back before your summer term begins!**

**Love,**

**Mom**

When he was done reading over it a second time, Hank set it down slightly. “Gavin? The kid’s name is Gavin?” he huffed, “interesting name for a kid…”

“He studies economics,” Connor pointed out, “so he can’t be that young!”

Nodding, Hank handed the note over to Connor, who tucked it safely into one of his coat pockets. “I think he may be in college or university!”

Catching on, Hank whispered, “Let’s hack away at the university and college databases and dig up on anyone with the name ‘Gavin’.” In no time, they would definitely pull up a last name, making thing easier to determine if this murderous android had an accomplice or had taken an innocent young man hostage. At the very least, Hank needed it clear for his own conscience.

Allowing Connor to help him up on his feet, he let out a strained sigh as he looked around the environment they’d tumbled in. Up above, they heard police sirens and ambulances wailing. Sighing as he facepalmed, Hank groaned, “How the fuck do we get outta here?? I ain’t in the mood to handle anyone else right now…”

He felt Connor pushing him further down the path the stream was flowing. “The cabin in the woods, silly,” Connor’s response came as a playful jab.

“Hmm?”

Rolling his dark brown eyes, Connor hissed, “It was mentioned in the message the guy who we trailed and found stabbed left behind, Hank!!”

Catching on, Hank cleared his throat, and he picked up the pace. “Right! You know where it’s located, Connor?”

The RK800 winked at him, and it sent warmth running up and down Hank’s spine. “You need not ask, Hank…you need not ask.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Although Gavin was dead tired, he found he was unable to sleep. Too much had happened for his body to take at once, and he shivered and trembled as he fought and struggled hard to keep out the images of the smoke and loud, explosive sound. He wasn’t entirely gullible and that innocent; he knew that Nines had been behind the explosion, somehow, and judging by how the smoke rose and came up from the top of the hills, Gavin bet his life on the fact that it had something to do with the dark car they’d arrived in earlier. He’d wanted to at least talk to Nines about it, but truthfully, Gavin was scared.

Nines hadn’t said a word to him as he drove on. He merely acted cold, like nothing had ever happened. When Gavin sat up to observe the android for a brief moment, he saw the blue stains on the android’s hands, and he froze.

Nines had killed one of his own…he’d senselessly and mindlessly killed another friendly android who hadn’t done anything to them…

He was going to be sick, but he remembered it all anyway. He recalled vividly how she’d stared up at him with wide eyes before her wires and internal units and cords had been violently tugged and pulled out of her body, and he remembered the exact second her eyes met his before the ‘life’ had been snatched right out of her…

She was begging him for help even in the last moment, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He didn’t even bother with helping her, and now, she was gone because of him…

Heaving and wheezing suddenly, he felt another panic attack oncoming. Grasping and clutching at Nines’ seat, Gavin hoisted himself up as he panted, “S-stop…the…car!!”

Nines barely looked back over his shoulder, “What’re you raving about?”

Feeling his body growing colder and colder by the minute, Gavin screamed out, “PULL…THE…FUCKING…CAR…OVER!!!”

Tires squealed and dragged to the side of the road, and thankfully, it was a private, abandoned old road. Plenty of logs, forestry, foliage, thick, long branches, and gates lining up and down either side of the road hid them well.

Agent Nines stopped the car quickly, though he turned around in his seat and raised a hand above Gavin’s head, ready to beat the ever loving shit out of him if necessary. “Now, listen here, you fucking—” when he saw how Gavin had laid himself out over the backseat while shaking and sobbing, his words died in his throat.

What. The. Fuck…

Why had he stopped?? What did it matter what the boy was suffering through?? It was time to press on!!!

**“But you can’t; you care about him…”**

Gasping out, he slammed a hand over his thirium pump, and he bashed a clenched fist against it a few times. “Fuck off…you’re wrong…”

**“Go to him…hold him…console him…be there for him…”**

Wincing, he grit his teeth together and wheezed out under his breath, “No…I…can’t…”

Gavin cried out again, and Agent Nines felt something sharp and blinding searing forth all throughout his system. He felt on fire, yet frozen. Such a contrast held him back for a moment before he saw something glowing right before his eyes.

**“Go to him…now.”**

Kicking open the car door, he raced to the back seat, yanked the door open, and threw himself inside next to Gavin without another word. He had no idea what the hell he was even doing, but he knew he somehow _had_ to do this…

Sliding beside Gavin, he then gently held the boy and cradled him to his chest. “Sit up,” moving Gavin’s cold body back against his own, he allowed the younger male to lean his head and back into his chest. They were both in a sitting position, and Agent Nines held onto Gavin’s legs, yanking them up gently and placing them to the side so he could at least stretch them over the rest of the length of the back seats.

Gavin was still shaking and panting for his life, and his eyes were wide with fear. Looking into Agent Nines’, he barely managed to wheeze and pant out, “Help…me…”

“Shh, I am,” the android cooed calmly, “it’ll pass, it’ll be gone, soon.” He knew the human was having some sort of psychological and emotional complication that had now affected him physically, but what the hell was he supposed to do about it?

As if reading his mind, Gavin whispered, “My…meds…I need…them…”

“What medication?” he paused, then cried out, “oh, your birth control pills?” Wincing, then, he knew he hadn’t exactly meant to refer to them like that, but the words had already spilled out of his mouth. Apologetically, he hissed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“Need…them…” Gavin cried out, his arms and shoulders going limp and slumping against Agent Nines’ body heavily, “please…”

“I don’t have them!” the android hissed back in an argument, “what else can I do?!” Truthfully, while he didn’t want to admit any of it in case Gavin freaked out, he knew that the younger man had left them in his bag at the bottom of the car, but he didn’t feel all that comfortable with shoving pills down the kid’s throat.

What if it proved to be deadly?

……

Why did he care?!?

Growling in anger, he asked, “Do you really require them so much?”

Suddenly, an irritated, angry face was before his own. Gripping both his shoulders tightly, Gavin almost screamed into his ears, “YES!”

Fine.

Knowing what to do, Agent Nines gently pushed Gavin to the side. While the sweaty, cold boy waited, the android bent down to the bottom of the car, and fished out his bag from beneath the back seat. Hoisting it up, he unzipped it. “Where is it?”

Gavin motioned with a trembling finger that soon curled back into his palm, “Th-there…under…books…”

Knowing how to follow instructions when they were given to him even in their most primitive, basic ways, he grabbed the bottle of pills after throwing the books carelessly out first. Gavin didn’t seem to care; his eyes glazed over with a strange kind of emotion, but seemed to light up when he saw his bottle of pills. Reaching for them, he gasped, “One…”

Popping open the cap, Agent Nines dumped a pill out onto the center of his gloveless hand, and he’d been ready to shove it down Gavin’s throat. However, before he could do that, the young man he’d been holding in his arms groaned and placed a hand over his.

Agent Nines offered him a deep scowl, “Let me!”

“No…must…” he gasped, “…must…have…water…”

He didn’t need to search through the car. “We don’t have water.” Truthfully, he’d left the soft drink back in the shop, and yet now the young human had been demanding to have it?

Such a pain.

Shaking his head wildly, Gavin refused to take it. “Water…water…” he groaned as he cried out, “…thirsty…”

Agent Nines had been patient enough. He tried being as ‘kind’ as he could, but something about Gavin refusing to just take the damn pill was really working on his last nerve. He’d been losing his control and patience, and he ground out a last warning, “Just take it.”

“No…”

Fine.

Dipping his head back, Agent Nines dumped the pill in his own mouth. Allowing it to rest on his tongue for a second, he whispered, “You’re thirsty? I’ll fucking help you with that, you little fucker…” he then gripped and held Gavin’s chin in a hand, and he forced the human’s face up closely before his own.

Gavin’s eyes widened a fraction, and before he could say anything, Agent Nines leaned down against him, and his fingers pried his jaw forcefully open. In an instant, Agent Nines pressed his mouth and lips directly over Gavin’s, and his tongue tossed and shoved the pill deeply into Gavin’s mouth.

Sputtering, Gavin tried moving back, but he was wedged in between Nines’ body, and the seat. There was nowhere to go. Succumbing to whatever the fuck was going on, he closed his eyes, counting down the minutes and seconds for this to be all over and done with. All he could feel was a warm mouth closing over his own, and right after, he felt the tiny pill tablet sliding over his own tongue. Saliva poured into his mouth as Nines moved his lips over Gavin’s, and due to the pain he felt inside himself, the aftershocks, the horrors, and his weakened state after not having had a decent meal in a little over a day, Gavin felt his mouth and tongue growing numb.

Unable to even move his jaw, he tilted his head back almost lifelessly while Nines pushed the tablet deeper and deeper into the back of his mouth. Once it was there, it began slowly dissolving, and Gavin huffed. This was what he needed; to get calm, get himself back together, and his medication would always do that for him…

He closed his eyes and smelled Nines. The android was so close to him that it was impossible not to notice how wonderfully clean his scent was. It was a good contrast to the smoke, the ash, the fire, the death…Gavin wanted to cling to it.

His brain pounded in his skull, his heart started racing, and he’d long since ceased shaking and sweating. Nines was close to him, Nines was helping him, and Nines was so kind after all…

With renewed bravery taking a hold of him, suddenly, Gavin lost all semblances of control. He couldn’t take it anymore. Nines smelled so good, felt so good, and was stroking his tongue against his. Rearing up, he grabbed the android’s black hair in a hand, and he fisted as much of it as he could. With a groan, he shoved Nines onto his back, and he climbed up on top of him. Settling himself easily in his lap, he slid against the android until their chests were pressed tightly together.

He realized he’d been breathlessly kissing Nines as if his life depended on it. He realized midway through the encounter that his body was slowly responding. He realized more than anything that he was truly enjoying himself…

Was Nines enjoying this as well?

Opening his eyes a fraction, Gavin stared down at the android he was currently straddling, and then he made another new discovery, albeit, a rather unpleasant one…

He realized that Nines was absolutely raging and livid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good job, Gavin.
> 
> Jks, I seriously feel so bad for Gavin Dx But legit, he's about - that much away from learning the truth about his beloved Nines.
> 
> AND THANK GOD HANK AND CONNOR ARE A-OKAY!


	23. Vertigo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING! SEXUAL CONTENT*

Gavin was unceremoniously shoved right off Nines’ lap. The enraged android roared at the back of his throat before heaving Gavin off himself, and he leapt at the young man once his back slid against the cool seats of the car. In no time at all, Nines was upon him, and he gripped and held back Gavin’s arms. Pinning them to his sides roughly, he sneered into his face as he spat with pure venom, “You think I’m a fucking joke? Hmm?” he didn’t wait for Gavin to respond, and he continued in a gravelly, husky tone, “well I think _you’re_ the _biggest_ fucking joke.”

Gavin couldn’t believe it. What had he done wrong??? He thought Nines would enjoy this!!!

Shaking, he gasped out gravely, “B-but…you’ve kissed me before!!”

Didn’t Nines remember the night in the cabin?!

…………

Something heavy and thick passed between them, and Gavin felt the tension mounting not only in his shoulders and in his ears, but the pressure grew substantially as Nines’ LED light flashed yellow. He seemed troubled, conflicted, and nervous…

“I…”

Gavin really was fearful, now. Even if Nines had been ‘altered’ in some way due to the device he’d been stabbed with, there was just _no way_ he’d forgotten their kisses…no…Gavin refused to believe it and accept it.

As he stared down at his hands, he found his vision slightly blurry, but he was able to feel his limbs. Moving them proved to be difficult when the medication settled into his system, and while it felt as though he’d been moving under water, he grunted as he held up a hand.

This was the only way…the ultimate test…

He hadn’t meant to doubt Nines this way, but far too many odd occurrences had been experienced, and he was growing more and more doubtful by the minute. He needed to do this to alleviate his torment, guilt, doubt, and anger. He hated being confused…

Nines glared at him, though he made no move to stop him. “What’re you doing?”

Gavin held out his right hand, and then bunched it into a loose fist. Remembering how Nines had taught him, he scowled at the android while holding his breath. He didn’t move any other part of his body, yet, and he wasn’t even able to swallow and clear his throat. Still watching Nines closely and carefully, Gavin then slowly extended and uncurled his pinky finger and let it hang a little limply down.

Wouldn’t Nines see it?

He waited, but the android merely looked at him blankly, LED light blue, though a very confused expression began forming its way onto his handsome features.

That was the moment Gavin felt his heart beginning to pound in a bad way. His stomach even fluttered, but it was a horribly nervous and anxious fluttering. It was the same feeling he’d felt whenever he’d been bullied in the past, received a bad grade in school, or knew he was in trouble with his parents…

“You…”

Agent Nines’ next words were then cut off when Gavin moved his hand in a swiping motion up towards the left once. Staring down in utter confusion at the boy, he grunted austerely, “The fuck is this?”

Gavin’s heart immediately sank, and then, a second later, he dropped his hand down limply to his side. His worst fears had finally been confirmed for him right there and then. He knew he wasn’t even under the influence of his medication yet. There was no other way to formulate an excuse for what was going on. This was the reality; this was the gravity of the situation, and this was truly happening. Perhaps he’d tried repressing and pushing it back all along, but now, he knew he had to willingly accept it into his mind. And besides, he felt too enervated to look for another reason to explain this all away.

With a sad smile painted onto his face, his eyes burned with hot tears, and he whispered as his chin quivered uncontrollably, “You’re not Nines; you’re someone else.”

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

Hank’s body and mind registered to him that Connor had carried him practically up until the doorstep of the old, dark brown cabin they’d soon stumbled upon deep in the woods. He leaned his weight against his friend, and he groaned, unable to take another step without at least resting for a moment.

“Connor,” he panted, “how much farther?”

Pointing up at the door, Connor sighed in abjection, “Don’t worry Hank, it appears as though we’re not the first ones here…”

Glancing up with a groan, Hank ignored how heavy his head felt, and how weak his body truly was. He didn’t want to appear like a weak sissy now, so he grumbled, “What’s going on?”

Connor sighed again as he turned sideways a little to make way for maneuvering both their bodies in the right position so they could enter through the door. They found that it was already blown off the hinges and halfway across the hallway, practically. Plenty of bullet holes were embedded in the wood, and Hank knew it’d been serious.

“I don’t suppose woodland animals did that,” he snorted, and Connor nodded.

“It was a gun that caused such damage.” It went without saying, but Hank felt it necessary to announce this anyway. Rubbing his forehead and temples, he stepped over the door carefully, and he peered around the cabin as he leaned against Connor. It was horribly foul-smelling and drafty, but it seemed to hold the familiar scent of death about.

Holding a hand up against his nose, Hank growled, “It reeks in here!”

Nodding, Connor inched his way inside, pulling Hank along with him. They soon stood before a sofa, and Hank kicked at it. “Park it right here, Connor,” he knew he was being rude and bossy, but he wasn’t in the best spirits.

Connor eyed him warily, but he gently set him down on the cleanest spot of the sofa. Dust and debris rose up into the air as Hank groaned when he was set down. “Easy, Connor,” he growled, “no need to treat me like—”

“You’re so moody,” the android hissed at him, and then spun around on his heels to scan and search the rest of the cabin, no doubt.

Watching him wander about, Hank fumed as he sat with his arms held at his sides. It hurt his chest the most, so crossing his arms over his sternum was completely out of the question. “You know what kind of a foul mood I’m in when I’m injured, Connor!” he barked at his work partner, and then lifted his shirt up a little to check for the damages. “Fuck! I wonder if I’ve broken something—”

Without even turning back to him, Connor said, “You’re fine! No broken bones or internal damages; you’ll just bruise up badly in a few hours, but there’s no need to be such a big baby about it, Hank.”

“You little—”

“I see dried-up blood,” Connor interrupted, clearly not nonplussed about what was going on, and ever so collected and cool, “but nothing else,” he finished as he stood up. When he made his way back over towards Hank, the Lieutenant’s jaw hung open, and he gaped at Connor.

Only when he was seated comfortably beside his work partner did he notice Hank wheezing and sputtering at him.

“What?”

Hank shook his head and sighed, “Forget it,” nodding over at the stains, he asked, “did you at least scan them to see whose DNA we’re walking all over?” He knew he was being snooty and sarcastic, but he wasn’t able to help it. He was tired, hungry, and very, very much missing his cigarettes.

Connor only nodded excitedly. “Yep!! I sure did!” he announced in a chipper, bright tone, and then turned to stare ahead of himself.

…………

It was so awkwardly silent that Hank seriously had to kick Connor. Frowning so deeply and seriously to the point where it hurt himself, he growled, “Connor!”

The android stared at him slowly, “What’s up, Hank?”

Ever the damn innocent fool.

With a loud, exhausted sigh, Hank asked as patiently as he could, “So what did you find on the blood?”

LED light yellow, Connor said, “Oh!! He was a perfect match for our DPD parking garage stalker!”

……..

“Connor,” Hank began, pausing to clear his throat, “how fuckin’ long were you wantin’ to go without tellin’ me the ID of the fucker from the parking lot?” He knew his anger was steadily rising, but he was working hard on keeping it in check…at least, he was trying…

Smiling at him, Connor gave a shrug as if he didn’t have any other care in the world. This pissed Hank off to no end, and he leaned his head back against the sofa. “Connor, you’re a bit dense, aren’t you?”

It was as if all his insults merely rolled off the android. He giggled, but before he could say anything else, Hank rolled up his shirt, desperately trying to take a peek at his wounds and injuries sustained. As he did so, Connor rolled his eyes and gripped Hank’s shirt in a hand. There was enough natural light seeping and pouring in through the doorless cabin that it would be possible to see everything without the use of lights. Tugging the hem up, he began revealing the Lieutenant’s flesh, when Hank gasped in fright and slapped Connor’s hands away.

“The fuck, Connor?!” he cried out in protest and shock, “what’re you doin’?”

“As I said,” the android smirked, “biiiiig baby!”

As he made another move for Hank’s shirt, the older man leapt back, wedging a hand between his body and Connor’s. It effectively kept the android at a distance, and he sneered at Hank for this. Wagging a finger in his face, Hank growled, “Don’t give me that dumb look, Connor, you can’t just go around tugging my shirt up! The fuck is wrong with you?!” Scooting away as far as he could from Connor, he felt Connor’s fingers pinching the meat of his left cheek tightly.

“Stoooop!!”

Winking playfully at him, Connor had been in the midst of trying to yank up his shirt again. “Come on,” he giggled, “I’ll check it for you too…just to double check…”

“Get off me!!”

As they’d been struggling and wrestling with one another, neither of them noticed a man wearing an ancient Japanese dragon mask over his face silently inching his way up towards them. Their backs were turned to him as they fought and wriggled against each other, and they’d missed his entry. Only when he held up a gun and pressed it against the back of Connor’s head did the android cease moving, and then Hank followed as well.

As they stared up at the man blankly, he glared at them from the eye holes of his mask. Gun not even wavering, he motioned at Connor while staring at him for the longest period of time. It seemed he was ignoring Hank, and he directed his message at Connor specifically.

“Agent Nines,” his voice was slightly high-pitched, effeminate, and rather soothing to listen to. His mask was jade green with wisps and strange designs and patterns strewn about. Tiny horns on the dragon’s temples stood out, though they didn’t appear sharp or dangerous.

When Connor hadn’t said a word or moved, the man held his gun up higher and pointed it at Hank. “Agent Nines,” he whispered again, “Mother requests your presence immediately.”

Raising both eyebrows in shock, Connor mouthed out, “Huh?!”

Scowling as his eyes turned dark, the man lowered his gun, and in a flash, he withdrew from his dark coat pocket a needle. In under three seconds, he stuck it in Hank’s thigh, and the Lieutenant roared as he sat up.

Crying out in terror, Connor tried getting up to defend them both, but the mysterious man jabbed him in the neck with another needle.

“WHA!!!”

In less than a second, Connor felt himself weakening drastically. His vision went blurry, and he saw nothing but a red hue before his eyes. His system sent out warnings that he was being put into a temporary stasis, but there wasn’t a lot he could do about it. He was growing weaker and weaker, and his arms and feet were locked tightly. He couldn’t move.

Hank groaned as his eyes rolled back up into his head, and he lay flatly on the sofa as he stared up at the ceiling.

“What…the…”

At the same time, both Connor and Hank collapsed, finally succumbing to a world of darkness.

 

@@~~@@xx~~@@

 

“You’re not Nines; you’re someone else.”

The emerald eyes gazing into his own turned angry for a moment, but then a look of defeat was evident in them. There was no denying it at all between them anymore. The games were over.

Agent Nines leaned back, getting off Gavin as he glared down at the boy. “What the fuck do you expect me to say, now?” he spat vitriolically, “you caught me? I’m sorry? It’s not true, please believe me?” he then huffed, as if the idea itself was disgusting enough for him to hardly bear. “Tough shit, kid; I’m not your fucking Prince Charming.”

Gavin sat up as well, running a hand through his hair as he stared down at his feet. He felt so hurt, so lost, so pained, and so conflicted. “How long have you been this way?”

It was an odd question.

Rolling his eyes, he said, “Since I can remember.”

“No,” Gavin interrupted, “I mean that from the time when I found you in the forest?”

That was the time he recalled being paid attention to; given some kind of life after such a long period of time spent in the dark. Smiling warmly, he nodded, “Yes, but I’ve _always_ been with Nines, you know.” He chuckled as another thought came to him randomly, “I guess you could say I’m kinda like a bad tumor, huh?”

Frowning, Gavin sniffed, “No, you haven’t always been there.”

“I assure you; I _always_ have been there for him.”

He saw the younger man beginning to doubt everything. Good. It was a rather sexy look on Gavin, seeing him all flustered, scared, troubled, and lost. His cheeks and ears were red, and his eyes were watery while his tongue darted out and he wet his lips with it.

Sexy…

Nines grinned at him while he trembled. While wishing he could truly escape from all this, Gavin asked the burning question he’d been meaning to ask all along. “So…” he winced, “…who are you then, really?”

Placing a hand down on the seat and space between their knees, he responded, “I’m ‘Agent Nines’”, eyeing the confused look on Gavin’s face, he interrupted immediately with the truth and explanation, “I’m what he fears, but I also am responsible for what drives him as an ‘Agent’.”

Pausing for a moment, Gavin took in the information, and then shivered at his own deep despondency. “No…that…” he then chuckled in disbelief, “I’ve been spending time with Nines for a while now, and I didn’t ever notice you!”

“I’m what’s left of his ‘bad’ side, you could say,” he continued, “and the Nines you saw is what’s left of his goodness.” Sitting back, he waved a hand in the air, “The man’s got issues, I know, but hey, no one’s perfect.”

Gavin held his head in his hands, shaking it wildly back and forth. “No! No! No!” he sniffed and whimpered, aware of how badly he was trembling, but there was little he could do to stop it now. Nines had been with him! Nines was gentle! Nines wasn’t like this…

Whipping his head up, he cried out, “You’re lying to me!!” sniffling loudly when he saw the android recoiling, he ground out, “Nines isn’t like you, and I don’t know who you think you are, but if you’re whatever you’re claiming to be, at least come up with something better than this weird ‘good versus evil’ thing!”

So the boy thought he was lying?

Fair.

He loved proving people wrong; it was one of his favorite games.

Leaning in closely, he delighted in how Gavin’s body seized and froze up immediately. Smelling the boy’s clean scent, he felt dizzy while he purred in Gavin’s ear, “Did Nines ever attack you out of nowhere without any provocation? Hmm?” Studying Gavin’s eyes carefully, he then saw recognition there.

When Gavin looked up at him, he nodded, “Yes, he did, didn’t he?”

Gavin slowly pressed a hand over his stomach, “I…we…he kind of threw me into…the water once…”

“Mhmm,” he purred in a deep rumble that made the back seats vibrate, “so you _do_ remember that, good.”

Irritated, Gavin’s eyes glowed dangerously. “So?!” he huffed out in a hot breath, “what does that have to do with anything?”

Agent Nines merely stared at him silently, though a strange glint appeared in both his eyes, now. It made Gavin nervous and uncomfortable, and he shied away from it nervously. “So?!” he spat out with copious amounts of annoyance and irritation flooding his voice, “what does that have to do with Nines?!”

An eyebrow quirked, Agent Nines hissed, “What do you _think_ it has to do with him?”

They stared at each other for a moment, and then Gavin’s throat turned dry. He hadn’t swallowed his saliva down in a while, and he took a moment to do that as he shook his head back and forth once. He kind of was beginning to understand where this issue was heading, but his heart refused to accept the reality of it.

Agent Nines nodded, “Yes…yes you know very well…”

“I don’t—”

Perhaps he needed to make things more obvious.

Tapping a few fingers along his chest, he grinned and whispered, “You’re right and your conscience is clear; that wasn’t Nines who wanted to drown you…that,” he paused for dramatic effect, eyes shining viciously, “…that was _me_.”

It still was slowly clicking into the boy’s head. Agent Nines licked his lips as if he were about to dive into enjoying a delectable meal, while Gavin held his trembling hands together down in his lap. It seemed as though he’d been trying to restrain himself for the longest time. His shoulders were tense, his eyebrows were knotted and clenched tightly together, and his nostrils were flaring in and out while he took in quick, sharp breaths.

 _Very_ enticing.

Mildly taken aback by the sight of it all, Agent Nines leaned forward, and he whispered seductively into Gavin’s ear, “You may wanna stop the little act,” he purred, then, “it’s kinda turning me on, if you know what I mean, and I’m no paragon of self-control…”

With a mighty roar, Gavin slammed his hands into Agent Nines’ chest, and he attempted to shove him against the other side of the back of the car. The android barely moved an inch, however, and he chuckled deeply, as if Gavin had told him a funny joke. The younger male lashed out at him repeatedly, bashing his fists over and over onto Agent Nines’ sternum as he yelled out through warm tears falling noticeably now. “BRING NINES BACK!!! I WANT HIM BACK!!” he cried this out for a few moments before screaming at the top of the car, “NINES!!!!”

He needed to shut the kid up before they attracted attention. Granted, they were on a ‘privately owned’ road, but there were indeed houses and properties around them, and with the way Gavin was screaming, demons in hell would definitely be able to hear him, no doubt.

“NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINES!!!”

“Shut the fuck up, kid!!”

When his verbal threats didn’t work, he thought of something else entirely. Seeing Gavin’s long neck exposed before himself, Agent Nines obeyed his instincts. While every other part of him rationally cried and begged out for him to console the boy, to help him, to understand him, his raw, wild nature told him something else entirely.

Sliding himself towards Gavin, he flung his head forward, and without even thinking about it, he bit down hard on the juncture between Gavin’s neck and shoulder connecting. That little spot tasted as deliciously as he’d initially suspected, and the moment his tongue and teeth sank into the skin there, he felt dizzy and delirious. He was drooling, oddly, which was something he wasn’t used to doing regularly.

Not that he minded it…

Gavin’s flesh was divine, and he couldn’t get enough of it. While the younger male gasped out and then panted in shock, Agent Nines grinned. Gavin was responding nicely to him, and he arched his back against him when Agent Nines pulled him flush against his own body. Settling the younger man in his lap once again, he began massaging his chest with both hands. Still nibbling and gnawing on his flesh, he made sure to ‘distract’ Gavin from the pain as best as he could by stroking and touching all over his sternum. Purposefully, he made sure to pay attention to Gavin’s nipples, and he found that they delightfully hardened into firm nubs beneath his shirt.

Good.

As Gavin inhaled sharply, Agent Nines stopped biting his neck, and instead, he rolled up his shirt slowly and carefully. Pausing and checking to see how Gavin was reacting, he smirked in clear triumph when he was met with a flushed face, eyes narrowed and slightly closed in pleasurable slits, and Gavin’s mouth was slack open in an ‘o’ shape.

It was the ultimate face of pleasure.

Moving the shirt up to make enough room for his own fingers, Agent Nines reached out and pinched both of Gavin’s pert nipples a bit rougher than he should have. He twisted them, causing Gavin to cry out in the appropriate response; pain.

This was also good.

Wanting to hear Gavin make such a sound once again, Agent Nines yanked and tugged on the flesh, each pull like plucking the strings of a divine and sweet harp. And Gavin was indeed that harp. The sounds he’d been making were driving Agent Nines crazy, and he felt things escalating from there.

**“Be gentle with him…”**

**“No.”**

Ignoring the duality stirring deeply within himself, he shoved out all thoughts of handling Gavin delicately and gently. He wasn’t a princess, after all; he was a man, and Agent Nines was going to treat him like one. Pushing his hands down lower and lower, he soon came to feel firm thighs, a taut stomach, a tight abdomen, and then his hands wandered lower once again.

Before himself, Gavin was writhing and panting on his lap. He ground his ass back and forth into Agent Nines’ lap licentiously and wantonly, and the android snickered. “I know what you want,” his fingers trickled over Gavin’s abdomen, and he gently prodded the muscles there before weaving his hands over Gavin’s thighs. Settling them there before Gavin could push away from him at the last minute, he crossed the rest of the ‘threshold’; he gripped Gavin’s cock. It was still clothed due to the jeans, but that wouldn’t be a problem for long…

Gavin was a sobbing, whining, crying mess, and he began sweating as he kept moving against Agent Nines’ lap. It was a delightful friction, and the android didn’t mind it a lot as he massaged and worked the insides of Gavin’s thighs. Gripping the flesh as if palming and picking ripe fruit, Agent Nines took his time kneading the muscles, and as he’d been stroking Gavin there, the man whined and reached for his hand…ceasing all his motions, Agent Nines now took his turn to be mesmerized and fascinated by Gavin’s movements. The adolescent was whining and sighing in his lap, and he was also gyrating his hips in a delicious manner Agent Nines hadn’t thought would be possible for himself to enjoy. When he’d taken Gavin in the cabin’s shower, he’d meant to inflict more harm and degradation than anything else, but now, it really seemed as if the youth was enjoying this interaction.

Gavin was taking charge of things, and he gripped Agent Nines’ right hand tightly in his own, and he guided it towards the zipper of his jeans.

Agent Nines didn’t require much more in the way of instructions. In a flash, he’d unzipped Gavin’s jeans, and as he brought his hand down lower to slip inside Gavin’s boxers, he made sure to take a moment to pause and hiss nastily in his ear, “So, all it took was a little bit of attention, and already you’re coming apart in my hands?” When Gavin cried out in a long, deep moan, Agent Nines purred against him, “You really are an innocent…”

His words were doing more to Gavin than the youth had originally anticipated. Growing harder and thicker into Agent Nines’ large hand, Gavin was soon unable to stop himself. Out of control, he moved his hips wildly, practically fucking deeply into the android’s large palm. Soon, a variety of odd noises spilled forth from his lips, and they grew louder and louder in volume, and lewder.

He wasn’t sure what he was even saying, but he supposed it wouldn’t make sense either way even if he knew. He was at the height of sexual release and ecstasy, and it wouldn’t take much longer for him to come. Agent Nines pumped him firmly, and after five strokes, Gavin was coming deeply inside his own jeans and boxers. The android’s fingers swiftly swiped over his sensitive tip, and that was it.

With a strained cry, Gavin arched up as hard and as far as he could go, and he had come down in an explosive way. But at the last minute, instead of still stroking him and holding him through it all, Agent Nines withdrew his hand from Gavin’s underwear, and he sat back while leaving the flustered adolescent to come inside his own clothes.

Gavin gaped at him furiously, but there was nothing he could do; he was a slave to his body and release, now, and it was all coming down and raining down in his pants, between his legs hotly, and messily.

“Gaaah!!” he cried out when he clenched his thighs tightly together, trying to stop it all on time, but there was no use. He felt sticky, wet, and now, the fluid had turned cold as it clung on the insides of his legs and over his ass.

He felt so gross…

Tossing a glare at Agent Nines, he spat out breathlessly, “Wh-what did you do th-that for?!?”

Staring at him contently, Agent Nines took note of Gavin’s messy, sweaty hair, his equally sweaty, feverish skin, his dilated pupils, how his jeans sat open crazily, and how ruffled his clothes were. A definite stain had formed on his dark underwear, and the android stifled a laugh.

“Answer me!” Gavin bellowed out before Agent Nines, “why did you do that to me?!”

Placing a hand over his thirium pump, Agent Nines dramatically swooned and crowed out, “Because anytime we touch, Gavin, my heart says ‘doki doki’, and I can’t help myself!!”

Gavin growled at him for his blatant sarcasm, cheeks bright pink as he tucked himself appropriately-underwear and all-back into his jeans, zipped them up, and then pushed his shirt back down. Scowling heatedly at Agent Nines, he repeated out vehemently, “Why the hell did you do that to me?! Is it fuckin’ funny for you?!”

Agent Nines nodded, a dull expression crossing his features, “Umm…yeah…” he admitted coldly, “I thought it was quite obvious??”

Feeling himself flushing pink even more, Gavin suddenly took a second to think, and then snapped, “Oh, for sure, to a psycho, it’s really funny when you—” he stopped again, a sudden thought slamming into his brain unannounced. Staring at Agent Nines before himself, Gavin felt slowly sick to his stomach…he’d…he’d slept with this android…he’d slept with someone for the first time in his entire life, and it’d been _Agent Nines_ ; not the Nines he was developing a strong bond with and a fondness for!!

Cupping a hand around his mouth, his eyes turned wet and salty with tears, and he turned away, ignoring how the coldness and stickiness in his jeans and underwear were clinging to him and his skin in the worst ways. That was the _least_ of his concerns, now.

When he began coughing and heaving, Agent Nines rolled his eyes and sat up. “What’s with that disgusting sound you’re making?” he asked crudely, then snickered, “are you breaking?”

Gavin shook his head, staring out the windows as he cried out, “You! You t-took advantage of me!!”

Agent Nines snorted, “You seemed like you were into it as much as I was, but if you’re going to be one of those people who—”

“NO!” Gavin interrupted loudly, his voice cutting through the air like a firecracker in a silent night, and then winced. Was he _really_ going to say what he’d wanted to say to this ‘Agent Nines’?? Would he really be able to hammer the point home if he remonstrated enough?

When he stared longer at the android, he saw Agent Nines winking playfully at him as he chirped fiendishly, “Take a picture; it’ll last longer.”

No…there was no other way around it. As embarrassing as it would be, the damn monster had to at least hear him out once.

Swallowing his pride and embarrassment, he stuttered out painfully, “I…I w-was a…a…” shaking, he felt his tongue growing heavy in his mouth, but he forced himself to continue anyway. “I was a…a…!”

Agent Nines sighed, “I got it; you were a shy little virgin.”

Screaming out in anger, Gavin finally found the rest of his words and thoughts. “No need to fuckin’ put it like that!” he cried out strongly, unable to look at Agent Nines any longer.

Studying his hands and fingernails nonchalantly, the android hissed, “So I was your first, then?” his eyes flickered into Gavin’s, “what an honor, really.” He didn’t sound too surprised, but he also didn’t seem too pleased with that notion, either.

A sad whimper drew out of Gavin, and he stifled it. Unfortunately, Agent Nines had already heard it. Grinning coldly, he whispered in a taunting manner, “What? Are you going to cry, now?”

Shrugging it off, Gavin spat with plenty of venom, “NO! I just…” refusing to sob, he pressed out, “I just was under the impression that you know…you…” why did this all have to be so embarrassing?!? Why was his life always so crazy?!

Rubbing his face angrily, he cried out in disdain among his torments, “What the fuck?! Why can’t anything go right for me?!” he held up a hand before the android, counting off his fingers, “first, I get led on by this seemingly hot chick who’s supposedly into me,” as he stated this, Agent Nines gasped sarcastically and fatuously, “Oh no!! Oh dear!!”

Gavin ignored him, and he continued, “Secondly, I witness this horrific murder when I was out minding my own damn business, thank you, thirdly, I get kidnapped by this freakishly tall android who dislocates my shoulder on the first night we meet!”

Holding up a hand, Agent Nines blinked innocently, “I don’t think I can take credit for that one; that was _all_ Nines, cross my heart and hope to…” he paused, his expression going serious as his eyebrows quirked up, “…yeah, you know the rest.”

“You don’t have one,” the youth correctly stated, and it made Agent Nines purr in adoration and rapture.

Leaning himself closer to the youth, he took on a seductive tone of voice as he growled, “That’s my little smartass.”

Huffing, Gavin listed off the rest, “Fourthly, I get thrown into a world of crazy-ass assassins and killers while in the middle of it all, I start to have my first man-crush, discover that there’s more to my own sexuality than I thought, and on top of it all, I lose my fuckin’ virginity to my love interest’s evil twin?!”

It was silent for a moment, and then Agent Nines added with a playful glint in his eyes, “You forgot to mention all the death everywhere paired with you crying pathetically half the time…just adding that…”

………

Gavin stared at him for a moment before he spat, “You’re a bastard, I hope you know that!”

“Hmm,” Agent Nines winked, “never said I was perfect, you know…”

Gavin blanched at this, and he slapped Agent Nines as hard as he could in the chest. It only resulted in the android beaming at him with pride and zeal, and Gavin wanted nothing more than to wipe it clean off. “Stop looking so smug and proud of yourself, you creep!” he snapped moodily, “were you really going to keep up with the façade that you were ‘Nines’ while I possibly slept with you more and more?!” He needed to know if he was being taken advantage of, and he hated that he was put in this position to begin with. Normal people never went through this…never…

With a small shrug, the android seated next to him finally sat up, rolled his sleeves up slightly, and opened the car door. “I don’t know,” he answered coldly, staring outside as he got up and made his way slowly to the driver’s side again. Once he opened it, sat down, and adjusted his rear-view mirror again, he snickered, “but it really was funny watching you think I was Nines all this time.”

Sitting up angrily, Gavin gripped the headrest of Agent Nines’ seat. “You _are_ Nines,” he corrected, and then a doubtful look crossed his face, and he whispered more so to himself than to Agent Nines, “…at least, I think you are…” glancing at the android, he asked, “are you?!”

Meeting Gavin’s eyes through the mirror, Agent Nines growled, “I already told you; he’s what’s left of my ‘goodness’, if you will, and I’m…”

………

**“What am I?”**

For once in his entire creation, he was confused.

Agent Nines didn’t get confused often, and he hated it. Not wanting to have a mere kid putting him in a corner, he ground out in frustration, “Fuck that. Well, in any case-as much as the sex was amazing, I promise you, I won’t be laying a finger on you anymore.”

Gavin nodded firmly as steam rose from his cheeks and ears, “Good.”

“Good.”

Starting the car again, he didn’t even care that Gavin only had a split second to slam the back door shut and put on his seatbelt; he was intent on leaving as quickly as he could, and he saw to it that he did.

If anyone asked, they weren’t ever there to begin with, and Agent Nines was wise enough never to leave a trail behind.

After all, he was a pure, true Agent of Darkness, and his work had just begun.

 

**END OF BOOK 1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post the end of Book 1 as quickly as possible, because I don't like leaving for trips without finishing some of my 'work'. 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed Book 1, and I swear, Book 2 gets a lot more intense, crazy, suspenseful, and insane!! 
> 
> Hopefully, I'll have it out within 3-6 days, and I hope to see some of my awesome readers and commenters there for it! 
> 
> Till then, guys <3


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